Kanaka Dhama

We are a Government registered Non Profit Charitable trust. Embracing social service as its mission. With a vision to make the institution a tool to help as many people as possible to meet their daily needs. This not for profit organization is named after the great saint KANAKA DASA. With a clear goal to collect donations from the affluent and donate it back to the needy.

One of many Kanakadasa Songs

Sri Sri Sri Eshwaranandapuri Swamyji

Kanaka Dasa (ಕನಕದಾಸ) (1509 – 1609)

Was a poet, philosopher, musician and composer from modern Karnataka. He is known for his Kirtanes and Ugabhoga, compositions in the Kannada language for Carnatic music. Like other Haridasas, he used simple Kannada language and native metrical forms for his compositions.

Thimmappa Nayaka was his original name and he belonged to a chieftain family of Kaginele in Haveri district. He was born to the couple Biregowda and Bachchamma at Baada village. Kanaka Dasa was well educated and capable of analyzing the society microscopically. Based on one of his compositions it is interpreted that after he severely got injured in a war and was miraculously saved, he gave up his profession as a warrior and devoted his life to composing music and literature with philosophy explained in common man's language. At a young age he authored poetries titled Narasimha stotra, Ramadhyana Mantra, and Mohanatarangini.

"Nanu Hodare Hodenu (ನಾನು ಹೋದರೆ ಹೋದೇನು)"

Literal Meaning - 'If "I" goes away, then "going" will happen.'

Philosophical Meaning - Give up ego to get going

There is a traditional folklore behind this popular quotation. Kanakadasa's Master Vyasatirtha once poses a question to him, that who among the scholars present in the convention could attain salvation (Moksha). Every scholar present was asked the question, Kanakadasa firmly answers in the negative. He answers in the negative even when asked about the chances of his own master attaining salvation. Scholars in the convention get seriously agitated by this episode and they feel that Kanakadasa must be very inconsiderate to deny the salvation to his own master let alone the remaining scholars. But asked about his own chances he says in the affirmative by saying ನಾನು ಹೋದರೆ ಹೋದೇನು adding to the fury of the clueless scholars. His master who could understand the real wisdom behind Kanakadasa`s affirmation, asks him to elaborate his thoughts. Kanakadasa expresses a philosophical idea behind his thought. Kanakadasa had made a Pun giving different literal and philosophical meanings. Though it seemed on the surface that Kanakadasa is claiming that he alone may attain salvation, he had in fact put forth a thoughtful message that no matter what is one's scholarly prowess, one cannot achieve anything until the ego is eliminated.

Kanakadasa has a special association with Udupi as he was the follower of Vyasaraya Swamiji. On the request of Vyasaraya Swamiji of Vyasaraja Math he had come to Udupi. But it was an era when discrimination on the basis of caste was at its peak. The Brahmin priests would not let him enter the temple as he was from a "low" caste though Vyasaraya swamiji asked them to let Kanakadasa into the temple. Kanakadasa was outside the temple meditating on Lord Krishna and singing songs in praise of his Lord Krishna. He did this for weeks, he is believed to have camped outside the temple for weeks cooking his own food and during this time he was so distraught, he composed poems in praise of Lord Krishna and composed Kirthanas (Poems) which are relevant even today about how all humans are equal, every one is born the same way physically, everyone shares the same water, same sun for their life on earth. Hindu temples and the deity in a Hindu temple always faces east. But in Udupi, Lord Krishna, the deity faces west. It is believed that something unnatural happened those days, when Kanakadasa was outside the temple for days waiting to see Lord Krishna and waiting to be let into the temple. It is believed that the during those days, Kanaka was not allowed to have darshan of Lord Krishna, so with devotion when he sang kirthanas for his dear Lord, the temple wall fell down and the deity of Lord Krishna turned around and there was a crack in the outer walls of the temple through which the ardent devotee of Krishna, Kanakadasa was able to see his Lord. This left the orthodox community flabbergasted as to why something like this happened. Since then the Krishna deity has been facing west even though the main entrance has been facing east and this has remained a mystery every since. Today that window (commonly called as "Kanakana Kindi") stands as a tribute to Kanakadasa. The devotees who visit Udupi Krishna temple try to have a darshan of the Lord Krishna through this small window wishing to relive the ecstasy where Kanakadasa had the divine ‘darshan’. It is also a memorial to Kanakadasa and a testimony to the eclectic Hindu belief that devotion, poetry and sainthood are above caste and creed and certainty above orthodoxy. It is said that Kanakadasa lived in a hut in this place in front of the “gopura”. Later, a small shrine was built in his memory and it came to be known as “Kanakana Kindi” or “Kanakana Mandira”.

Although many saints such as Purandaradasa and Vijayadasa visited Udupi and were devotees of Lord Krishna, it is Kanakadasa's association to Lord Krishna, which has a deeper meaning.

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