A Tribute to Sri Purandara Dasa !! Part VII !!

Jai Sriman Naryana !!

Cheenappa Naikkar heartbreakingly cried to Panduranga at His mercy to pick him from the world of material bondages.  All these years he was running behind wealth, fame and money.  Now he realized who he was.  He had an aversion on himself.  The birth of human life is a blessing of Lord to do all the goodness.  He spent all these thirty years of life doing no good deeds.  He understood thoroughly his intention of birth in this world.  He promised to Lord that he would not leave Him and forget Him even for  a second.  The keerthanas flew from him praising the glory of Lord like a stream. 

People from all over the village assembled around Naikkar.  All were surprised to see him in a state that they had never seen.  He was crying and singing praising the glory of Lord.  The people surrounding him started to pass cheap comments on him and started to mock him.  He did not pay any attention to them.  The devotion and faith to Lord made him behave like a mad man.  Each and every keerthana were filled with a lot of emotions.

 

Immediately, Naikkar turned back to his wife and instructed her to bring their children.  Naikkar took his Tampura in his hand and revealed his intention to leave his home and his wealth behind.  His wife Lakshmi Bai reminded him about the wealth he had earned  all  these years.  But Naikkar was not willing to listen to any of her comments about the wealth.  Lakshmi Bai wanted to give off all their wealth as charity before leaving home.  Naikkar insisted her that if they stop for a second, the desire for fame and material things would spoil their devotion to Lord.  Lakshmi Bai sincerely followed her husband.  He promised her that they were going to get rid of the clutches of material world.

He took his tambura, his wife took all their children and left the place  singing the glory of  lord  without looking back.

'Thamburi Meetinava Bavadhi Dhatidava
 Thalava Dhatidava Suranudu Sevidava
Gejjaya Kettidava Kalaredeya Meettidava
Gayana Padidava Harimuruti Nodidava
Vithalana Nodidava (Purandara) Vaikunthake Odidava'

He wanted to go to Pandharipuram.   His urge to have a Sadguru took him to Vyasarayar.   Vyasarayar had eminent disciples like – Kanaka Dasar, Vadhiraja, Krishnadevarayar etc..  In olden times, when Naikkar used to visit the Palace, he had to cross Vyasarayar’s Mutt.  People earnestly adviced Naikkar to visit the Sadguru and get his blessings.  But he just ignored all their advices, with the thought that a Sadguru could not  add wealth in his life.  Though Naikkar passes through adamantly, Vyasarayar felt  Maharishi Narada in him. 

Naikker came running and fell on the feet of Vyasarayar with guilt.   Vyasarayar was the composer of the famous Krithi – 'Krishna Nee Beganey Baro'.  Vyasarayar hugged him and he visualized everything that had happened in Naikkar’s life.  Seeing the tremendous change in him, Vyasarayar  gave him the name ‘Purandara Dasa’.   From that day onwards, Naikker came to be known as  ‘Purandara Dasa’.    Dasar in one of his compositions sang about the glory of his Guru.  Nothing is equivalent to Guru Kataksham and   Nothing  divine will  take place in  life without the blessings of Guru.   Jyana,  Tapasya , Devotion, Faith  and Intelligence are  possible only with the Blessings of  a Guru.   Guru is the Acharaya who  takes us  to Lord. 

Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishno: Gurur Devo Maheswara;

Gurur Sakshath Parambrahma, Thathsmai Sri Guruvey Nama:

Jai Sriman Narayana !!