Gopala Dasa (1721–1769) was a prominent 18th-century

Kannada language Kannada () is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, an ...

poet and saint belonging to the

Haridasa The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and ...

tradition. With other contemporary Haridasas such as

Vijaya Dasa Vijaya Dasa () (c. 1682– c. 1755) was a prominent saint from the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka, India in the 18th century, and a scholar of the Dvaita philosophical tradition. Along with contemporary haridasa saints such as Gopala Dasa, ...

and Jagannatha Dasa, Gopala Dasa propagated the

Dvaita Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST: ''Tattvavāda''), is a sub-school in the Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') trad ...

philosophy of

Madhvacharya Madhvacharya (; ; 1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' (dualism) school of Vedanta. Madhva called his philosophy ...

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

through ''

Kirtan Sikh ''kirta''n with Indian harmoniums and '' Kenya.html" ;"title="tabla'' drums (a common and popular pairing), in Kenya">tabla'' drums (a common and popular pairing), in Kenya (1960s) ''Kirtana'' (; ), also rendered as ''Kiirtan'', ''Kirt ...

s'' ("Songs of God") known as ''Dasara Padagalu'' with the pen-name (''ankita nama'' or ''mudra'') "Gopala Vittala".He is Ganesa Amsha. Gopala Dasa was named "Bhaganna" at birth. He was born in a

Madhva Brahmin Madhva Brahmins (also often referred as Madhvas or Sadh-Vaishnavas), are communities of Hindus from the Brahmin caste in India, who follow Sadh Vaishnavism () and Dvaita philosophy propounded by Madhvacharya. They are found mostly in the Indian ...

family in Mosarakallu a village in

Raichur district Raichur District is an administrative district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located in the northeast part of the state and is bounded by Yadgir district in the north, Bijapur district, Karnataka, Bijapur and Bagalkot district in the n ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

state, India. After his initiation into the

Madhwa Madhvacharya (; ; 1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' (dualism) school of Vedanta. Madhva called his philosophy ...

order as Dasa, he became a disciple of

and is credited to being a prolific composer. He is known to have been an astrologer as well. Later Gopala Dasa inspired the well known woman saint Helavanakatte Giriyamma to compose melodious songs in praise of the Hindu god

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

.Shivaprakash in Ayyappapanicker (1997), p.201 Legend has it that once

, a leading Haridasa of the 18th century, invited Jagannatha Dasa to attend a religious ceremony and dine with his devotees. Jagannatha Dasa, who was known for his scholarship in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

, thought it unnecessary to mingle with the Kannada Haridasas and pretended to have severe stomach pain. Another account claims Jagannatha Dasa even excused himself by feigning sickness due to Tuberculosis. Soon Jaganatha Dasa actually began to suffer from acute stomach pain. Unable to find a suitable remedy, he went to Vijaya Dasa who advised him to approach Gopala Dasa. Jagannatha Dasa's problem was solved by Gopala Dasa. Realizing his mistake and wrong attitude toward the Haridasas, Jaganatha Dasa joined the Madhwa order and went on to become one of its foremost proponents. G. Varadaraja Rao (G.V.R) in Sahtya Akademi (1988), p.1764Gopala Dasaru was a prominent saint and composer in the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka. He was a great devotee of Lord Krishna (Vitthala) and composed many devotional songs (kirtanas) in Kannada, spreading the message of Bhakti (devotion) and Dvaita philosophy, which was established by Sri Madhvacharya. ### **Key Aspects of Gopala Dasaru’s Life:** - **Birth Name & Background:** His original name was Bhaganna and he was born into a Madhwa Brahmin family. - **Guru & Spiritual Transformation:** He was a disciple of Sri Vijaya Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas. - **Contribution to Haridasa Tradition:** Gopala Dasaru composed numerous devotional songs in simple yet profound Kannada, making spiritual wisdom accessible to common people. - **Dvaita Philosophy:** His compositions emphasized devotion to Lord Vishnu (Krishna) and followed the principles of Madhvacharya’s Dvaita Vedanta. - **Miracles & Divine Grace:** Several miracles are attributed to him, reinforcing his deep spiritual connection. **Annual Aradhane in Gadwal, Telangana:** Every year, an **Aradhane (memorial event)** is conducted in Gadwal, Telangana, by Shri Raghavendra Das and his family, who are **direct descendants of Gopala Dasaru**. The event is centered around the worship of **Vijaya Vitthala**, the idol worshipped by Gopala Dasaru himself. Traditional Haridasa musical instruments like **Tambura, Ganjanki, and Putti** are used in bhajans and keertanas. Despite attracting thousands of devotees, this sacred gathering is not widely known outside the immediate community.

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dasaru, Gopala 18th-century Indian philosophers Madhva religious leaders Dvaita Vedanta Carnatic musicians Haridasa Scholars from Karnataka Dvaitin philosophers People from Raichur district 1762 deaths 1722 births 18th-century Indian musicians Musicians from Karnataka