I wish to write a post on Marathi deshasthas for a long time. When someone sees us in Mutt/Temple speaking Marathi, The immediate question they ask with raised eye brows “Oh! neevu deshasthara?” And in Common weddings/Functions, Majority of Kannada people will start trolling Desasthas(As we are in minimum numbers). Though its funny most of the times, It is not sometimes. Few people pass comment on us as “Kayre kottre janagalu” (Sometimes I feel like, am i looking like an Alien or what? )
And Those who did studies in Tamilnadu, Would have faced even more such situations from friend’s circle. “Oh you look Tamilian and You speak very good Tamil, How come you speak Marathi @ home and how you can be a Maharashtrian?” .
And those who have lived near Mumbai area, will start interviewing you in Marathi( who claim it as purest)as if you are submitting your PhD thesis.
I have answered many people around me @ Every stage of life,” I am Marathi desashtha, My roots are from Thanjore. Somehow migrated across south India for work long back (Three to four generations atleast) ” . In recent years I came to know the exact history of who we are?
Disclaimer: And the above statements are out and out my personal experience and I am not talking about everyone
When i was studying Middle school, we went on a family Yatra to Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Mandir(Our family deity) and pandrapur vittobha by Road Travelling through Karnataka(We Visited so many moola brindavanas). I was in the mindset as We know Marathi, We are going to easily manage our stay in Maharashtra. But it is not. Though we can understand the language, It was so hard to reply in a perfect sentence. Whatever we speak is a mix of Marathi + Tamil(And in these recent years,influence of English + Kannada also)
Yes We exists! We are Marathi speaking Madhwa Deshasthas. We are Dvaitha followers. Just because we speak a different language doesn’t mean we are different. We follow all the rituals and procedures and Philosophy of our Great Madhwa Doctrine
Who are We?
Ekoji-I or Venkoji was the younger half-brother of Shivaji and founder of Maratha rule in Thanjavur. The Marathi inscriptions of the Thanjavur temple dates the capture of Thanjavur to January 1676
WHEN the Mahrattas ruled Tamil Nadu from Thanjavur (their dynasty was founded by Chatrapati Shivaji’s half-brother Venkoji) for nearly two centuries from 1675, they encouraged a large number of settlers from the Deccan and Karnataka to consolidate their power in the South. Many Brahmins and Kshatriyas, known as Deshasthas, found their homes in the fertile Cauvery delta, Thanjavur and its neighbourhood.
The Hindu, Jan 15, 2000
A larger part of the migration of these people from their homeland to Tamil Nadu took place between 1712 and 1726, when Serfoji I invited the brahmins from his homeland and offered them vast lands. Records showed that the migrations ceased after 1855, says Yeshwanth Rao, a member of the Mahratta Education Fund (MEF), an organisation of this community.
The Times of India, Aug 7, 2012
Look at the origin of Sambhar:
One of the stories is that it originated in the kitchen of Thanjavur Marathas ruler Shahuji during the 17th century from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.[1] Shahuji trying to make a dish called amti, experimented with pigeon peas instead of mung bean, and tamarind pulp for kokum and the court named it sambhar after the guest of the day, Sambhaji, second emperor of the Maratha Empire
Wikipedia
(Proud inventor of Sambhar)
I have seen most of the Marathi speaking Madhwa, easily learns and adapts kannada language. Why not the same in reverse?
I am going to post few of the commonly used words and sentences in Marathi. Those who want to learn Marathi, Can start learning and impress your near and dear ones!!!
Let us learn Marathi
Phrase
Marathi word
How are you
Kasa ayenta
I am fine
Me besha ayen
What is your name(Addressing to elder one/with respect)
Tumcha nama kaaya?
What is your name(Addressing to younger one/without respect)
I remember few of the rhymes in Marathi My grandfather used to tell us:
Jhoola hatthi jhoola re
hathi soonda phoola re
devakicha moola re
hathi kasha jhoolatha
raama kasha bolotho
Kasha hasto ha!ha!ha!
Motha paan maanduna
koshambari ghaluna
bhaji ghaluna
bhaat galuna ( while holding your palm up as a plate and holding baby’s hand to mash the imaginary cooked rice).
Thoop galuna
daal galuna
besh kalivuna
paal karuna
thejantha kadi galuna
kadi paal phutla, phutla, phutla (tickling hand)
Finally I got some time to create index page for the dasara padagalu posted in this blog. This page is viewed best in Desktop/Laptop(It is also compatible to use in Mobile/Tablet/Ipad). If you want to search for a song, Press Ctrl + F in your keyboard. a pop up search box appears. Start typing the first few words of dasara pada.
You can find all the songs are sorted in Alphabetical order for easy use. And I have added another column to shortly denote what the song is about. Most of the lyrics are published in both, Kannada and English.
Though i have already categorized Dasara padagalu based on God/Yati/Dasaru/ topic, I Just wanted to compile it as one whole post for easy reference. Your feedbacks are always appreciated.
I am receiving multiple requests everyday for adding Mp3/Audio songs for Dasara pada. Because of Copyright problems and The blog interface(Which I am using is free) is not letting me to add audio formats. However I have posted youtube links for familiar songs as and when available in the lyrics page itself.
HarikathamrutasAra is the magnum opus composition of Sri Jagannatha Dasaru. This great composition is written in Bhamini Shatpadi and consists of thirty two chapters explaining both jnana and its means. It starts with a benediction prayer to all deities as per the hierarchy.
The phala sruthy of this great work is written by Srida vittala dasaru.
Its been a long time, I want to compile a blog on Pavana Yatra. Back to My school days, I remember like my father bought a kannada book titled “Tulu naatinalli Madhwa Paryatane”. He asked me and my brother to transliterate the book. My father, A frequent traveler & explorer(yatra)has already took us various divine trips in Karnataka, Andhra pradesh and Maharashtra. This Book sparked him the idea of exploring a new Yatra.
Pavana yatra
This is a travel itinerary around udupi, kasargod area , the places madhwacharyaru has visited and which were mentioned in sumadha vijaya.
I thank my father for contributing all the pictures which he had captured in his recent year yatras.
Pajaka:
Madhwa Vijaya : (sarga 2 -sloka 10)
It is the place where Acharya Madhva born, and where his parents lived
An old house where the Acharya Madhva spent his infant life and childhood is still there.
The icon of the Anantasana, Acharya’s ancestoral Kuladevata (heritage-diety) is still being worshipped here in this house.
A stone slab where the Acharya, when he was Vasudeva (his name prior to his Sannyasa) performed his Aksharabhyasa is also seen preserved there
There is one more stone slab here, which was used as a lid by Vasudeva to close the vessel so as to preserve the milk when he was asked to keep the vessel closed by his mother in her absence.
Vasudeva Tirtha, a holy water pond dug out by Vasudeva himself in his house- courtyard is very much there for the disciples to take a holy dip.
Angry Manimanta, a demon taking the form of a snake had bitten this plant so as to kill it. Nothing happened to it. Then the snake bit Vasudeva to kill him when he was on the way to Kunjaru Durga hill, But Vasudeva, with his toe-finger, stamped the snake and killed it. An impression of the snake’s hood which was stamped is seen to remain even now on the ground in Pajaka. You would come across this place on the way to Durga hill from Pajaka.
On one day when Vasudeva’s mother from the house called him to take food while he was prostrating before the Durga Devi over the hill (Durga is Tamobhimani form of Lakshmi) he jumped from above the hill in one step onto the granite ground below the hill near his house. His tender foot had made a replica of it on this stone. This holy foot-replica is visible by the right side of the house even today, being adoringly worshipped by all.
Vasudeva, as a child, cleared the debt of his father by handing over the tamarind-seeds. The spot where this took place is just by the side of Vasudeva Tirtha.
Pilgrims and the Sadhakas visiting Pajaka are welcome by the Parashurama Hill (a complete granite block) on the right side and by the Durga Hill on the left side of Kunjaru, a place just half a mile away before reaching to Pajaka
How to reach?
Katapadi is a place which you come across at about 6 miles away from Udupi on the National Highway leading to Mangalore. Here taking the road which goes to the left and covering a distance of about 3 Km.s on that road, we would get a place called Subhashnagar where again we have to take a left turn. By this road, after driving for a distance of about 2 Km.s, Kunjaru is reached, from where half a mile (3/4 Km) of journey would take us to Pajaka, the holy birth place of Acharya Madhva
Danda tirtha
When Acharya was Vasudeva (prior to Sannyasa) it was here where he studied Veda from Totantillaya
In front of this Matha a sacred pond called Dandatirtha exists.
Once at the time of Acharya Madhva, this Sarovara had dried up and hence was without any trace of water. Vasudeva using a stick dug a small pit (Kundike) in the South-west corner of (Nairutya) the pond. It is said, that the water started flowing abundantly from this small pit and spilled over to the entire pond from where it flew over to the surrounding fields filling them with water required for cultivation.
How to reach?
After covering a distance of 10 Kms. from Udupi in the Udupi-Mangalore Highway route you would be crossing a bridge over Pangala river. Beyond this on the rightside of the road you would find Dandatirtha High School. Just about 200 yards before this Highshool you would see Bharath Canning Company on the same side. A 100 yards before this BCC, there is a lane on the left side of the road. Take this lane and after a few yards of walk when you take a right tun, there you would see Dandatirtha Matha
Pangala Katte :
Vasudeva while walking through the distance from Pajaka to Dandatirtha (where he was studying the Vedas) used to have the Darshanam of Lord Janardana of Pangala. He used to sit on this Pangala Katte and pray Janardana. This Katte can be found just one furlong before the present Pangala Temple premises on the Udupi
Sandalike Padi – Bhuta Sthana :
Infant Vasudeva was taken to Anantasana (of Ananteshvara temple at Udupi) by his parents on one fine day. The family was returning to Pajaka on foot by walk. It was night time. Then a Pishaacha (a ghost) entered into one of the family members body and started praising Vasudeva (Vayudeva). Sandalike Padi, is the place where this incidence occurred. This Kottige can be seen at the starting point of Sandalike Padi on the road leading to a place called Kukkikatte.
Bannanje Mahalingeshvara Temple:
At the age of only three years, Vasudeva (Sri Madhva’s name before Sannyasa) was taken by his mother to attend a marriage of their relative at Kodavuru. There, he just slipped away from the sight of his mother who was engrossed with her relatives, visited Shankaranarayana temple at Kodavuru and from there came to Bannanje Mahalingeshvara temple. After offering his salutation to Sri Mahalingeshvara’s Antaryami Sri Narasimha, the kid Vasudeva was guided by the same Narasimha-roopa till Udupi’s Chandramoulishvara temple.
How to reach?
Bannanje is situated at a distance of about 3/4 Km. from Udupi to the west of City Bus Stand on the road leading to Adi Udupi.
Vadabhandeshvara
It is a place which is said to have got its name because a small ship had wrecked here. It is the place where Acharya Madhva picked up the statue of Sri Krishna arrived from Dvaraka
How to reach?
You can reach this place via Malpe. Malpe is at about 5 Km. to the west of Udupi. From Malpe, take the road leading to Tottam. Vadabhandeshvara could be reached at about 2 Km. on this road.
