Bhadrachalam Ramdas

Introduction

KancherlaGopanna or BhadrachalamRamdas is one of the most popular personalities in Telugu history, music and literature. There is hardly anyone in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh who has never heard of hispopular songs. His songs are even recognized at the global level for their superb lyrical quality and ‘Bhavauchityam’, i.e. with great Bhakti Bhava. His ‘DasarathiSatakam’ has also been an extremely well knownSatakam. Many oldtimers know several poems of the Satakam by heart. He became popular not by virtue of being a king, a warrior or a great scholar but because of his captivating life story and his equally touching songs and poems.

 

When & where he was born

Region: He belonged to Nalakondapalli, a small village in Andhra Pradesh.

Mudra: Bhadraadivaasa, Ramdas

BhadrachalamRamdas popularly known as BhaktaRamdas, he was born Gopanna to LingannaMantri (a surname he kept as a result of one of his forebears being a minister at the court of a king) &Kadamba (sister of Madanna, a brahmin minister to TanaShah), in 1620 in Nelakondapalli, a small village in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh.

Marriage

Gopanna married Kamalamma when he was young and lived with her at Golkunda palace doing kirtan and bhajanson the Lord’s name. One day Kabir met Gopanna and recognizing his extreme devotion to Lord Rama, initiated him and impeded into him the Taraka Mantra of Lord Rama:

Sri Rama RamaRameti, RameRameManorame;

Sahasrenamatattulyam, Rama NamaVaranane

Ever since Gopannadevoted himself towards the worship ofLord with the mantra heard from Kabir, both husband and wife spent their life in Rama smaran, kirtan and holding bhajanson the Lord’s name. One such day while they were celebrating with great éclat the tenth day of the Sri Rama Navmi festival, Gopanna’s child fell into the tub of hot rice water that had been poured, and died. Kamalamma ran to the spot, took the dead child and wound it in a mat as if nothing has happened but her attempts to control her excessive grief failed and soon she broke into tears. Gopanna was shocked but having utmost faith in the Lord, he placed the child before him and prayed. To the great surprise of all the child came back to life as if from deep sleep.

Intense Devotion

The devotion of Ramdas grew and he was more anxious to have the darshan of the Lord Rama in that very birth. He approached Kabir, who told him that the Lord would give his darshan the following night. On hearing this, Ramdas came to his house and beautifully decorated the room for the Lord to enter and he himself kept a vigil. Around midnight a buffalo came and entered the room and soiled the silk clothes. Enraged Gopanna gave blows to the buffalo and drove it away. Next day he went to Kabir Das and told the incident. Kabir told Ramdas that the buffalo was none else than the Lord himself. Kabir told Gopanna that as a penance for the foolish act he had done, he should perform Parikrama of the Bhadrachalam temple daily and Gopanna true to the words of his Guru settled at Bhadrachalam with his wife and started doing Parikrama regularly.

Contribution

Ramdascomposed thekeertana form (the precursor to the Kriti form) and his songs contained multiple Charanams. Tyagaraja seems to have been a great admirer of Ramdas’s devotion to Rama and praises him in a few of his compositions. His language is very simple and music very pleasing. His works include ManacheSloka, Dasabodha and SundaraKandam of Ramayana.

Popular Compositions

Emayyarama (Kambhoji), Rama dayajudave (Dhanyasi), Palukebangaramayena (Anandabhairavi), Nannubrovu (Kalyani) etc. Other compositions are positive invocations, favored by traveling minstrels, including the Tondaiman rulers of Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu, who popularized his songs. Among his other accomplishments is the creation of the whole Ramayana story in the form of a prose-poem, a Choornika.

Ramdas described himself in this way in the last verse of his DasarathiSatakam: “AllanaLingaMantriSuthudu(son), AtreyaGothrudu, AdiSakha , KancherlaKulothbhavudu, Gopakavindrudu.” BhadraacalaRaamadaas lived for 68 years.

Carnatic compositions

• Ramdasu composed nearly 300 songs
• Tarakamantramu in Dhanyasi
• Ye TeerugaNanu in Nadanamakriya
• AdigoBhadradri in Varali
• Anta Ramamayam in Mohanam
• O Rama ninamamu in PoorviKalyani
• Palukebangaramayena in AnandaBhairavi

Compositions

Aalolatulasi–shankaraabharanam

Adugudaati – mohanam

Ammanannubrovave – saaveri

Antaaraamamayam – aanandabhairavi, kaamavardhani

Bhajareshreeraamam – kalyaani

Caranamulenammiti – kaapi

Dasharatharaama – shankaraabharanam, kaapi

Deena dayaalo – bhairavi, kaapi

Dinamesudinamu – kaapi

Eteeruga – naadanaamakriyaa

Edanunnaado – naattaikurinji

Ee vela nannu – kamaas

Emayyaraama – kaambhoji

Ennagaanuraamabhajana – kaamavardhani

Entomahaanubhaavudavu – shankaraabharanam

Etikidayaraaduraa – mukhaari

Evarudooshincinanemi – aanandabhairavi

Garudagamanaraaraa – shurutti, kaamavardhani

Harihariraamaraama – dhanyaasi

Itaramuleruganayyaa – shankaraabharanam,

Song: Aalolatulasi

Aalolathulasi

Raagam: Shankaraabharanam

Language: Telugu

 

Pallavi

Alolatulasivanamalabhusanashriramaramaanupallavishrimannarayana

krsnagovindajagannathagopalajagannathapurusottamapalayacaranam 1

Nanda nandanainduvadanashriramaramahare caranam 2

Dasharathabaladashamukhakalashriramaramahare caranam 3

Ksirabdhishayanaksirabdhi bandana shriramaramahare caranam 4

Danyacaritravanyavanamalashriramaramahare caranam 5

Palitamaravalinashakashriramaramahare caranam 6

Samagamanutabhimanujamitrashriramaramahare caranam 7

Tatakantakapaditasurashriramaramahare caranam 8

Bhaktapalakamuktidayakashriramaramaharecaranam 9

Raktanayanaviraktapalanashriramaramahare caranam 10

Kanaka bhusanapankajanayanashriramaramahare caranam 11

Varahemambarakaradhrtashailashriramaramahare caranam 12

Sharadinduvadananaralokapalanashriramaramahare caranam 13

Bharatanandabhadradrivasashriramaramahare

 

Song: Adugudaati

Adugudhaati

Raagam: Mohanam

Language: Telugu

Pallavi

Adugudatikadalanivvanuna-kabhayamivvakaninnuviduvanuanupallavi

Gadiyagadiyakutirigitirigiyadigitinivesarikivaccenugaduvudappinanenuni

kabahududukutanamulasetuninnucaranam1

Kudurugagurcundanivvanunikukopamuvaccinabhayapadanuidimadinierigi-yundumikamokamatamemiyuledugadanahrdayakamalamunandunimrdupa

damulanubandhincivetunucaranam2

Repu ma panijaripitenunenapujeseduvaduganuprapunivaninammikolicitepapamuleda

bapidayatotepatepakunidumomitujupakundinanorvasummi

Caranam3

Patitapavanabiruduledanannuparipalanaseyaradapratidinambunudevatalubhupativa

tancunuvedinanunihitavujanamuluvaccinannubatimaladinaviduvaninnucaranam4

RaksasantakasitaramanasarasaksasadgunabhaktabharanaI ksanambunahinajanudanimoksamivvakayuntivainanusaksibettinedunenokadiksacesa

dhintuninnucaranam5

Bhuribhadracalavasaramabhujagashayanabhaktaposakurimitoninuvidicipettitedharanilo

bhadradriraghavaramdasudanetinamamumaruperunabiluvunannu

Song: Ammanannubrovave

Ammanannubrovave

Raagam: Saaveri

Language: Telugu

Pallavi

Ammanannubrovaveraghuramunikommanannukavavecaranam 1

Ammanannubrovusammatitodamayammavanucuninnunemmitikolicedan-caranam2

Kannatallinivukanugoninapaduvinnapamonarincivibhunakuvegacaranam 3

Ullamulona mi yubhayulaneranammicalladanamunavedivesariticaranam 4

Calamumanibhadracalaramdasunalasatabettagayadaranajesi

 

Song: antaaraamamayam

Anthaaraamamayam

Raagam: Aanandabhairavi

Language: Telugu

Pallavi

Anta ramamayamijagamantaramamayamcaranam 1

Antarangamunan-atmaramudan-anta rupamunavintalusalupagacaranam 2

Naduluvanambulu nana mrgamuluviitakarmamuluvedashastramulucaranam 3

Soma suryulusuralutaralu a mahambudhuluavanitalambulucaranam 4

Andandambulupindandambulubrahmandambulubrahmalumodalugacaranam 5

Astadikpatulunuadisesudunuastavasuvulanu a sad rutulanucaranam 6

Dhirudaubhadracalaramdasunikorikalosaginatarakanamamu

Ramdas Poems Inspiring others

Ramdas spent the rest of his life by composing moving poems that were to inspire others.

Some people whom he inspired are:

Tyagaraja – in KsheeraSaagaraSayana in Devagaandhaari, says

“DhirudauRamdasuniBandhamudirchinadiVinnanura Rama?”

Meaning- O Rama! I have heard how you obtained the release of the bold Ramdas from his prison life;

BhaktaVijayam – inbrindaavanalolain todi, in KaligiyundeGada in Keeravaani, in Emi DovaBalkumainSaaranga and in Prahlaada says

“Kaliyugamunavarabhadracalamunanelakonnaraamacandrunipadabhaktula

kellavarudanandagivelasinashreeraamadaasuvinutintumadin”

Meaning- Praise Sri Raamadaas, who shines in this world as the supreme devotee of Sri Raamachandra, who shines forth from his seat at Bhadraachalam in this Kal Yuga.

Tehsildar of Bhadrachalam

The Post of Tehsildar:As Gopanna was leading a simple life of devotion,

his income grew lessand he was forced to seek some livelihood to maintain his family. Due to  the shortage of income he made his way to Akkanna and Madanna, his highly placed uncles in Hyderabad, with the hope of getting some employment in the state.

His hopes were fulfilled and the administrative head of QutubShahi’s court, Abul Hassan Tana Shah offered him the post of Tehsildar (revenue collector) of ‘PalvonchaParagana’. After  obtaining the order of appointment, Gopanna returned to Bhadrachalam and commenced to execute his duties with dedication to the fullest satisfaction of all. His impartial judgments and regularity in depositing the revenue won the hearts of people and administration of the Nizam.

Idea to remodel the temple: Oncewhile visiting Bhadrachalam for a Jatara (fair) he got upset by seeing the distorted state of a Lord Rama temple. He initiated the reconstruction of the templeand decided to remodel it at any cost. The estimate came to about eight lakh varahs and he supposed that the Bhadrachalam treasury had more than eight lakh. He decided to reconstruct the temple.

The work of reconstruction was finished in record tenure and Kumbhabhisheka ceremony was celebrated on a grand scale. However, the treasury became empty and he could not remit the revenue to the Nizam’sexchequer. Tana Shah ordered Gopanna to suffer rigorous imprisonment until the time he would refund the amount due to the state. Gopanna was put in a prison, undergoing unbearable hardships at the hands of cruel jailors who whipped him, starved him and inflicted upon him all sorts of punishments.

Try to end his life: When prison hardships became unbearable due to torture, he decided         to  end his life. He kept a cup of poison by his side and prayed to Lord Rama. In the meantime,   Lord Rama, realizing the extreme hardships that Gopanna had undergone during the twelve years, came along with Lakshman to Tana Shah’s private chamber in the guise of sepoy of the Tehsildar of Bhadrachalam.

Taken aback by the sudden appearance of the two sepoys, Tana Shah enquired as to who they were and why they had made that sudden appearance at that hour.

They replied that they were the sepoys of Tehsildar of Bhadrachalam and were known as Ram Singh and Lakshman Singh and had come to repay the arrear for which Gopanna was suffering so long in prison and requested for his immediate release. The sepoys deposited the gold mohars, asked Tana Shah to issue a receipt and handed over this receipt to Gopanna.

Tana Shah repenting for all he had done unto Gopanna, begged his pardon, released him from prison. He also received him with all honor and respect and requested him to meet the divine messengers who had suddenly appeared in his private chamber the night before. Gopanna was reinstated in the original post and happily returned to Bhadrachalam.

According to the story, Gopanna, known as BhaktaRamdas, was a pious Brahman in his previous birth. He had brought up a pet parrot and kept it in the cage and never let it out. He had taught the parrot to chant Ram Naam. For having imprisoned the parrot, Ramdas had to undergo suffering in prison for twelve years. This secret of his previous birth was revealed to him by Kabir Das, when Ramdas went to him and asked why he, in spite of being a bhakt of Lord Rama, had to suffer so much.

BhaktaRamdas, the role model:Sultan now realized that he had made a grave mistake by imprisoning Gopanna, the Rama Baktha and the two young lads werenon-other than              Lord Rama and Lakshmana. He gave all the mohars back to Gopanna and requested                 Sri Ramdas to continue his work in Bhadrachalam. The golden coins paid by Sri Rama are known as Ram Tanka coins.

They can be seen even today at Sri SitaRamachandraSwamyVaariDevasthanm at Bhadrachalam. Gopanna aka BhaktaRamdas spent the rest of his life composing moving poems that inspired Saint Tyagaraja later.

Eternal Peace

One day, while he was praying in the temple, to the joy of all assembled there, Gopanna, by a Divine voice, was made known to the world as BhaktaRamdas. After some years of happiness, peace and plenty, Ramdas the Tehsildar saint of Bhadrachalarn reached the supreme abode of eternal peace.

|| Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram ||

|| Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram ||