Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/349

 November, 1873.] KARNATAKA VAISHNAVA DASAS. ol 1 Purandara’s entire songs, I adduce the following one: Refrain:— “All the gods are behind (i.e. beneath) Vishnu; In charming devotion all are behind the Snake- lord (phanipa, i.e. ddUesha)! ” Song:— “ All tho 8tream-pilgrimages (Tirtha) are be¬ hind the Vishnu-ammonite (sdlagrdma); All the published books (prakata grantha) are behind the Bh&rata; All trees are behind the sacred Tulasi; All vitality (chaitanya) is behind the wind (vdya). (v. 1.) All the vows are behind M a d h v a ’ s doc- trine-sea ; All the various castes (varna) are behind tho Brahmans (vipra); All the excellent gifts are behind the gift of food. Regarding (literally, among) the Rishis—they are behind Aryama devatA (v. 2.) Regarding the good—they are behind Amba- risha; And the practices (dharma) are behind bath¬ ing (majjana); In the whole world all are behind the badges of honour That are in being called a fond devotee of Purandara Vithala.” (v. 3.) Let ns now hear Kanaka Dasa, the fowler. He says: “ One ought not to perform pujd to the stones of this earth (i. e. to Lingas).* One should not go to hell by the way of revil¬ ing Hari and extolling Hara.” “Who else are in great darkness but the ruined wicked ones, who at each word revile Hari, call Siva the best of all, bow to him, show forth (or point out) all song-books (gita grantha, re¬ garding him), have proofs (for their asser¬ tions) adduced from the Yeddnta, make vows, shake off their (mental) agony, think of murder, and are wanting in good manners ?” “ What good deed or what bad deed is there in A d i Kesava’s Dasas? Theirs is true grace and absorption !** • Compare tlie expression of Madhva DT^a already quoted : “ Do not adore all the deities (diiv ') yon see !’’ Purandara once attacks the NiVlu daivas (gr&m ^ & tiros), such as Wlamma, Nf.gappa, Ellamina, Jdgawa. KSlika, all of which are connected with 8iva. When Kanaka, in another somr. says: “The temple (rju^i) in which there in no god is like a deserted shop,” be no doubt thinks that a Vishnu idol ought to he there. t In front of many Liugaita temples thero is a stone hull on a pillar. J In another song he has translated R a j a t a into Kanarese, so that the place i6 BSjlipura, silver town. Another song has the mudrikd : “ S&ksh&d Rajatapura There is one song without a mudrikd, of which I adduce two verses as referring to Rama¬ nuja and Vydsis Tolu (the arm of Vyasa; see Ind. Ant. vol. II. p. 133) :— Refrain:— “ Supporter of Rdmdnuja’s doctrine! (or, R&m&nuja! Doctrine-supporter!) Rod for the great mountain of dark heretics !** Song:— “ They say the Chola put up a post (or pillar, kamba), saying: ‘ He with the eye on his forehead (Siva), aud no other godhead there is !’ The master of the Yatis (iti pati) seized and flayed him, And made a Chola shed (chappara, a shed of the Chola’s skin ?). See, my brother ! ’’ (v. 1.) “ Saying: ' It is a Vydsa Tolu P they (the Lingditas), not minding, Fasten a bull (nandi) to a standard (dhvaja), and worship it.f Hear ! For one (or, for that one) Vydsa T6lu our master (ayya) Stripped off a thousand arms of diva’s fol¬ lowers (Sarana).'* (v. 2.) Thus Sectarianism has been a great, probably the great, agent in the Karnataka Dasa move¬ ment ; but the devotion of Sectarianism has not remained alone. In several songs underlies a deep disgust with the short, and at tho same time so troublesome, human existence, and they plainly express the desire of the authors some¬ how to be comforted by their cherished idols, and also their real love for them. Varaha says of Venkata Ramana: “My riches are shin¬ ing in thee; precious pearls are hidden in thee; thou art the seed and root for meat and drink. Can people who forget thee, afterwards have any joy?” Purandara asks at the end of a song : “ Why did I fall into a frenzy for the Purandara Vithala, who has taken a firm seat in Raj atapura X much renowned in the world ?” and remarks in another place: “ Tho heart is blank paper, the mouth the ink- Kpabna,” whore it ccrtaiuly means “ Udupu Krishna.” Raj atagiri (silver mountain) is K a i 1 A * a, ,but Kai- lfvsa is also in Udupu. As in the Mahtibh'irabi Riva and Krishna worship sometimes appears as being curiously blended, it does so also in the BSUipurasong of Purandara. Here follow two verses : “In the spot (kshetra) where he with the hatchet is, the place called Udupu that appears in West and East as two, is even one body, one M y i d a (div:»). Because Krishna with the churning-stick stands (there), it is the best (place) in the world; when the poverty of tho poor secs Udupu, it is quickly got rid of. As is tho general custom (rOShi), I will pay to him who appears equal to B 6} l ip u r a ’ s lord Anantesa Var&ha Tim-