The Fifth Delight
Shri Raghavendra Gurusarvabhauma
Śrī Gopāladāsa
In the Haridāsa tradition, after Śrī Vijayadāsa, the most renowned among the aparokṣa-jñānīs (those with direct realization of the Divine) was Śrī Gopāladāsa. A prominent disciple in the great lineage of Śrī Madhvācārya, he was a worthy recipient of Śrī Rāghavendra Swāmī’s supreme grace. Gopāladāsa resided in Uttanūr - ಉತ್ತನೂರು.
This was a time when, due to the influence of Vijayadāsa, the Haridāsa tradition had risen to great heights, and the body of Haridāsa literature (dāsavāṅmaya - ದಾಸವಾಂಗ್ಮಯ) was flourishing widely. It was well known everywhere that Śrī Rāghavendra had granted darśana to Vijayadāsa and instructed him to carry the Haridāsa lineage forward in a structured and disciplined way.
Understanding that becoming a disciple of such a realized soul was equivalent to obeying Śrī Rāghavendra’s command, Śrī Gopāladāsa accepted Vijayadāsa as his guru, received the devotional signature (aṅkita) “Gopāla Viṭṭhala,” and thus became Śrī Gopāladāsa.
He composed numerous padyas (verses), sulādīs, and devotional songs, adding great beauty and depth to the Haridāsa literature. Each of his works is a priceless jewel.
One of his relatives and an accomplished scholar in his own right, Śrīnivāsācārya, was also a recipient of Vijayadāsa’s grace. He contributed significantly to Haridāsa literature by composing the great spiritual treatise "Harikathāmṛtasāra," which is adorned with the highest philosophical principles. In inspiring and guiding Śrīnivāsācārya to serve Śrī Rāya through this path, Gopāladāsa played a major role.
But that’s not all —
When Śrīnivāsācārya was on the verge of death, it was at the instruction of Vijayadāsa that Gopāladāsa, exhibiting extraordinary generosity and sacrifice, donated forty years of his own life to Śrīnivāsācārya!
Had he not done this, Śrīnivāsācārya would not have survived, nor could he have later become the great Śrī Jagannāthadāsa, who elevated the Haridāsa tradition in every respect and authored profound spiritual literature of unmatched depth.
Seen in this light, all noble souls must remain forever grateful to Gopāladāsa.
Śrī Rāghavendra Swāmī had immense love and affection for his beloved disciple Gopāladāsa. Just as he had granted divine darśana to Vijayadāsa, so too did he bless Gopāladāsa with a personal vision. In that Brindāvana darśana, he revealed his boundless glories and showered his grace.
Overwhelmed by this vision, Gopāladāsa poured forth his devotion in a sulādi (devotional composition) in which he described that experience, lost in divine ecstasy.
Rāga – Bhairavi
Tāḷa – Dhruva
Within this world, our Guru Rāghavendra still remains —
Let me now describe that divine presence.
He abides firmly in Maṇṭrālaya, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River,
Where the devotee Prahlāda once performed great sacrificial rituals,
Fed nectar to the gods, and performed sacred duties for their welfare.
Realizing this, he (Śrī Rāya) chose to dwell at this very site —
Guru Rāghavendra Rāya did not give up his body here as ordinary death,
But completed all his spiritual practices (sādhana)
And joyfully merged at the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Seeing the suffering of people in the world, he prayed:
“O Lord! Let me continue to serve them!”
The compassionate Lord Hari, becoming one with the Guru,
Grants boons to the people.
Narahari (the Lord) now receives daily worship here,
Surrounded by glorious praise and the divine chakra (discus) that protects the gods.
The Lord of the earth, Nārāyaṇa, resides here as his eternal presence,
Bestowing fruits in both this world and the next.
Compassionate Ranga, Gopāla Viṭṭhala,
Who shields his devotees —
What match is there for his many divine actions?
Tāḷa – Maṭṭa
Narahari, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, and Vedavyāsa,
Two each making eight forms of Hari,
Stand here with their divine consorts and retinues.
The guru of the gods, Śrī Madhvācārya, first among them —
After him, in proper order and hierarchy,
Various ascetics (yatīs) are present here.
With joy, they recite the Vedas,
Delve into scriptures and Purāṇas,
Perform Hari’s worship day and night without pause,
And expound the Supreme Truth in many ways.
Ranga riding Garuḍa, Gopāla Viṭṭhala,
Dwells here, protecting his devotees.
Tāḷa – Trividhā
In the form of Narahari, he resides here,
Removing sins and evils of the wicked.
As Rāma, in many forms he roams the world,
When the hungry come seeking,
He feeds them, settles them,
And in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
He grants boons to the most distressed —
Children, marriages, wishes — all are fulfilled with joy.
As Vedavyāsa, he removes the doubts of distant skeptics,
Shatters their faulty reasoning,
And establishes Lord Hari as Supreme.
To his surrendered devotees,
He brings the nectar of divine knowledge.
His lotus feet, worshipped by the virtuous —
Gopāla Viṭṭhala — embrace all with loving care.
Tāḷa – Aṭṭa
He has taken on the very form of Rāghavendra,
And bears the name Rāghavendra —
What great merit he must have performed to take this form!
He has spread the glory of his devotees
Across the three worlds,
And like rain from a monsoon cloud,
He brings boundless fame and prosperity to Rāghavendra’s kingdom.
That very Rāghavendra Mūrti is Gopāla Viṭṭhala,
Receiving the devoted worship of countless bhaktas.
Tāḷa – Ādi
Each day, new forms of worship arise,
Each day, new divine happenings unfold,
Each day, new festivals are celebrated.
Every day, crowds gather;
Brahmins are served;
Every person gives what they can from their hands;
Their lives become blessed and meaningful;
They are freed from the bonds of birth.
The Lord of seven hundred blazing suns (a metaphor for Śrī Rāya),
Dwells here continuously in radiant glory,
Unceasingly serving the people.
Doubt not this —
Gopāla Viṭṭhala, complete in all divine qualities,
Who dwells even in the tiniest of beings —
Who can truly comprehend Him in this world?
Final Verse – Jati (Closing)
Behold this field of Mantrasiddhi, O wise one!
Here, the mantra-proven Lord — Gopāla Viṭṭhala — reveals Himself.
From this, the boundless glory of Śrī Rāghavendra Swāmī (Śrī Rāya) becomes evident.
It reveals not only the extraordinary compassion of Śrī Hari, who, in five divine forms, has taken permanent residence there to grant blessings and uplift the destitute, the downtrodden, and the unlettered for seven hundred years through Śrī Rāya —
but also the astonishing divine love that Lord Hari shows to his devotees.
Furthermore, the unparalleled events that would take place over the course of seven hundred years in the sacred presence of the Brindāvana were clearly foreseen and described with wonder and joy by Dāsarāya (Śrī Gopāladāsa) in the sulādi mentioned above, as he vividly narrated the greatness of Śrī Rāya.
Although it has been 313 years since Śrī Rāya entered Brindāvana,
the miracles that continue to be seen and experienced by devotees in Maṇṭrālaya,
were already directly witnessed and declared two hundred years ago by the divinely insightful Dāsa.
The blessings Śrī Rāya bestowed upon him — no one can adequately describe.
In his composition "Gururāghavendra charaṇakamalavanu - ಚರಣಕಮಲವನು ", Gopāladāsa sings:
“For about seven hundred years, the ocean of compassion, the divine portion of the Lord, shines from the Brindāvana — Śrī Rāghavendra will protect us in bodily form.”
Here, he clearly affirms that Śrī Rāya is a divine incarnation (devāṁśa) and resides in the Brindāvana in living form for seven hundred years.
In another composition, "Vandisi nōḍuva bāre", he states:
“He is the partial incarnation of Śeṣa, Prahlāda, and Vyāsa muni — this rare merit belongs to him alone. Lord Keśava himself appointed him for the eternal welfare of all, in both this world and the next.”
Here, Śrī Rāya’s prior incarnations are affirmed — Śeṣa-aṁśa, Prahlāda, and Vyāsarāja.
In yet another song, “Rathavaneerida Rāghavendra”, he openly praises:
“First was Prahlāda, then Vyāsa muni, and now the yati Rāghavendra.”
Thus, by declaring and elevating the supreme glories of Śrī Rāghavendra Swāmī, and instilling deeper devotion among the noble-hearted, Gopāladāsa has earned the eternal gratitude of all devotees.