Sri VYASATEERTHA was a famous seer of Fourteenth and Fifteenth century in South India who laid a strong foundation to Carnatic Music and brought a new dimension to it. He composed many devotional lyrics under the pen name Sri Krishna, which have enriched the Dasa-Sahitya. He was a great Yogin having the title Abhinava Vyasa. He is also known as Sri Vyasaraja and Sri Vyasaraya.
He followed the school of Madhva, guided the kingdom of Vijayanagara as a Guru, and enlightened many eminent saints like Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa. He wrote many devotional compositions in simple Kannada having the intention of helping the ordinary man to understand the essence of Veda and Upanishat which could not be understood easily otherwise.
Sri Vyasaraya, after his education, became a saint and served as a priest at Tirumala temple for 12 years. The king of Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya requested him to be the chief priest of the kingdom. Accordingly, Sri Vyasaraya went to Vijayanagara to guide the king and the kingdom and became an eminent personality in the “Golden Era” of Karnataka history.
There was a legend on the devotion of Sri Vyasaraya towards God Gopalakrishna. Once as per the instructions of Guru, he was cleaning the box in which the idol of Gopalakrishna was kept. On watching the idol, he became so overwhelmed with devotion that he started tp sing a self composed devotional song, forgetting everything. It was said that the idol was also dancing with Vyasaraya. Being touched by the devotion of Vyasaraya, his Guru offered the idol, which he used to worship, to his disciple Vyasaraya!
Once he was on a pilgrimage in North India. He saw the Emperor of Delhi, Bahulal Lodhi lamenting over his lost son. He suggested the Emperor to bring the dead body of his son from the tomb and gavelife to the dead. Thus, he exhibited the superhuman power in him. Likewise, without considering the low-birth of Kanakadasa, Byasaraya guided him and converted him into a valuable gem in the galaxy of Haridasa’s.
Vyasaraya was a genius who had mastered Veda, Purana, Upanishad, Music, Sanskrit, Philosophy, and wrote many devotional poems like ‘Krishna Nee Begane Baro’ in simple Kannada language. He was the spiritual guide of many eminent personalities like Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa and others. He was worshipped by many kings like Krishnadevaraya and others. Let us salute to the lotus feet of such a great soul as Sri Vyasaraya.
– by Talapadi Laxminarayana Bhat