Shri Mohanadasar Aradhana (Dasaru)

Shri Mohanadasara Katti is located in Chippagiri

Period: 1728-1815

gurugaLu: shri vijaya dAsaru

kaTTe: chippagiri, next to shri vijaya dAsara kaTTe

Shri mOhana dAsaru had a difficult life when he was a small child. His father, Bhimappa Nayaka, was a jeweler in Anegondi. While he was rich, he died suddenly without distributing his wealth to his wife and child. mOhana dAsaru and his mother were driven away by his uncles and were living in abject poverty. One day, unable to bear the situation, his mother decided to commit suicide and was about to jump into the river at nava brindAvana, when vijaya dAsaru, who happened to be there saved her. He accepted her as his sister and took her and her son under his responsibility.

Vijaya dAsaru foresaw the swarUpa of mOhana dAsaru and nurtured him. He brought him up as his own son. mOhana dAsaru, by birth, had a skin disease, which was also cured by vijaya dAsaru. He gave him the ankitA of mOhana viTTala. He got him married also.

Vijaya dAsaru foresaw untimely death of mOhana dAsaru and had instructed mOhana dAsaru's wife to remember him if death befell mOhana dAsaru.

Indeed mOhana dAsaru had an untimely death at a young age. At that time, his wife remembered vijaya dAsaru's words and started praying to him and did not allow the body to be taken for cremation. vijaya dAsaru who was on a tour heard the prayer and went to yamalOka and told yamadharmarAja that it was another mOhanA that was to have died and not mOhana dAsaru. YamadharmarAja agreed that it was a mistake and returned the soul of mOhana dAsaru to the body which was lying on earth. mOhana dAsaru got up as though he was sleeping and composed a dEvara nAma on his guru.

He went onto live for 85 years and composed several dEvara nAmAs and ugAbhOgAs. The affection of vijaya dAsaru was so much that the kaTTE of mOhana dAsaru is next to vijaya dAsaru himself.

shishya parampare:

His shishya parampare continues to this day through muddu mOhana viTTala dAsaru, tande muddu mOhana viTTala dAsaru, guru gOvinda viTTala dAsaru. guru gOvinda dAsaru founded Akhila bhArata harisdAsa sammELaNa Trust and had many shishyAs including khagavaradhwaja viTTala dAsaru (who is instrumental in the construction of haridAsAshrAma and anugraha viTTala temple at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru), harinArAyaNa viTTala dAsaru (who has founded purandara AshrAma near manthrAlaya and lives there), shri varAha viTTala dAsaru (who lives in manDya).

mOhabhaya du:khAdidUraM lOhalOshTa samEkshaNaM |

mAhitAMGri sarOjabrungaMn mOhanArya guruM bhajE ||

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ಶ್ರೀ ಮೋಹನ ದಾಸರು

Sri Mohana Dasaru 1730-1815 AD

Mohana Dasaru was a famous devotee of Sri Hari and was blessed even when he was young. Mohana Dasaru's father Bhimappa Nayaka was in Anegondi and was a jeweller. He had earned a good deal of money. But he died without distributing his property to hs wife and children.

Bhimappa Nayaka's wife with her son, young Mohana, became almost destitute. Both found it hard to lead even a simple life of sufficient food and clothing. The wife was ill-treated and she suffered the pain of social and financial insults. Not able to undergo deprivation the wife decided to commit suicide along with her son. The place chosen was the present Nava Vrindavan off Hampi. It is an island in the river Tungabhandra.

It so happened that Sri Vijaya Dasaru was at Anegundi to conduct the Sri Purandara Dasaru’s Aradhana he saved the woman who was in the act of committing suicide along with her child. He looked after them as part of his family. Later that boy became his disciple and a very famous Haridasa called Mohana Dasaru.

Mohana Dasaru was destined to write a number of songs in praise of Sri Hari. But, unfortunately he met with prematue death. When he suddenly died Vijaya Dasaru it is said went personally to the God of death and got back Mohana Dasaru. Later Mohan Dasaru became a seer, philosopher and a great devotee of Sri Hari. Vijaya Dasaru used to say " In devotion none to beat Bhaganna (Sri Gopala Dasaru), In Noble saying Mohana Dasaru and in strength of writing Timmanna Dasaru".

Mohana Dasa wrote his songs to preach to the common people. With his sayings and teaching methods he won the heart of the people. His Ankita nama was "Mohana Vittala".