Sri Bhadrachala Ramdas

Stuti

śukā sārikhe pūrṇa vairāgya jyāce
vasiṣṭhā parikkṉāṉa atbhutasāce
kavivālmīkā sārikā māṉya aisā
namaskāra mājhā kuru rāmadāsā

Following are some of the songs from Sri Bhadrachala Ramdas

  1. Alola Thulasi – Shankarabharanam
  2. Bhajare Shriramam – Kalyaani
  3. CharanamulE namiti – Kaapi ragam
  4. Dasharatha Rama Govinda – Ragamalika
  5. Ghora Bhavarnava taraka – Arabhi
  6. jAnakI ramaNa kalyANa guNa – Madhyamavati ragam
  7. Paluke Bangaramayana
  8. O Rama, Ni Namam
  9. Narahari DevA janardhana – Yaman Kalyaani
  10. RAma daya jUDavE – keeravani
  11. Ramachadraya Mangalam
  12. RamaRama Seetharama – Ananda Bhairavi
  13. RAma parAku raGurAma parAku – Nadanamapriya
  14. rAmakrSNa gOvinda nArAyaNa
  15. Namavali – Ayodhyawasi Raam, Dasaratha Nandana Raam
    JanakiJeevana Raam, Seetha Vallabha Raam
    Hare Raama, Hare Raama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
  16. Namavali – Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Naama Taarakam
    Rama Krishna Vasudeva Bhakthi Mukthi Daayakam
    Janaki Manoharam, sarvaloka Naayakam
    Sankaradhi Sevyamaana punya naama keerthanam
    Hare Raama, Hare Raama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
  17. Namavali – Srirama Jayarama Suryakulabuthi Soma
    MeghaShyama Yere Yere YereSukhadama Sukhadama PoornaManorathaDhama
    Mangaladhama Yere Yere YereDattatreya Dattatreya Poorikruthabhava Dhaapatraya
    Adbhutagaathra Yere Yere Yere

Shri Bhadrachala Ramadasar, popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas, was born Go­panna to Linganna Mantri & Kadamba, in 1620 in Nelakondapalli, a small village in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh. Since childhood, he imbibed his family’s inter­est in spirituality and composed several keertanas on Rama. His devotion to Vaikun­ta Rama at the temple at Bhadrachalam, a small village in the middle of the jungle on the northern banks of the holy river Godavari, earned him his name Bhadrachala Ramadas. His guru was Raghunatha Bhattacharya.

 During the reign of Abdul Hasan Tana Shah,(the Nawab of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty at Golconda), Ramadas (Gopanna), thanks to his uncle Madanna, was appointed as a Tahsildar at Bhadrachalam, a pretty and picturesquely situated temple town on the Godavari river.

 Ramadas was always devoted to Rama and his intense love for Lord Rama compelled him to rebuild the temple at Bhadrachalam which was in a dilapidated state. He col­lected money for the construction from the citizens, but didn’t have enough. So he borrowed from the tax revenue of the Nawab and gave his god a worthy abode, vowing to return the money. The nawab was furious when he came to know this and put Ramadas in prison pending the return of the tax revenue. Ramadas thus earned the name Bandekhana (prisoner) Ramadas.

 Frustrated at god’s indifference to his pleadings, Ramadas composed some of the finest keertanas in his prison cell. It is said that after 12 years, Rama & Lakshmana in the guise of two youngsters appeared before Tani Shah paid the money and got Ramadas released. The Golconda fort where Ramadas was imprisoned is visited by several tourists even today.

 The golden coins paid by Rama are known as Ram Tanka coins.They can be seen even today. These coins have the Pattabhishekam scene on one side and the picture of Hanuman, on the other side. The Nawab was moved and recognized the great­ness of Ramadas and released him immediately and gave him land around Bhadra­chalam to continue his dedicated service to Lord Rama. Ramadas spent the rest of his life on these lands and composed further moving poems. The jewellery that Ramadas provided is still with the Temple at Bhadrachalam. He used to invite Bhagavathas from all over India to his place and perform Kalyana Utsavams in great splendour.

 Once, when Ramadas and his wife were attending on the guests in the celebration of Sita Kalyanam, their child slipped away from their midst and while playing fell into a sewage outlet full of hot rice porridge and died. The mother wrapped the body in a blanket and forced herself to remain calm till the guests left after lunch and then broke down in sorrow. Ramadas came to know about the tragedy. Both placed the body at the feet of Rama’s idol and wept. Then a miracle happened and the child came back to life as if from sleep.

 In 1680 (1688 in some other versions), his mortal life came to end but by that time he had composed innumerable keerthanas soaked in devotion and full of sweet melody, which are very popular even to this day in Bhajans, musical concerts and even in remotest villages by folk singers. Apart from being a composer he was also a Vaggeyakara in the sense he also set his poetry to music.

 Apart from the several hundred keerthanas, he also wrote ‘Dasharathi Shatakamu’ also known as ‘Dasharathi Karuna payonidhee’ a collection of nearly 108 poems dedicated to Lord Rama.

 Some of his popular songs, which are widely sung in sampradaya bhajans are given below:

•                    Paluke BangaraMayena Kodandapani

•                    Evaru Dooshinchinanemi Evaru Bhooshinchinanemi

•                    O Rama Nee Naama Memi Ruchiraa

•                    Paalaya Maam Shri Rukmini Nayaka

•                    Rama Jogi Mandu Gonare

•                    Mucchataina Naadavemiraa

•                    Deenadayalo Deenadayalo

•                    Anta Ramamayam Ee Jagamantaa Ramamayam

•                    Garuda Gaman Raa Raa

Rama Dayajoodave Bhadrachaladhaama Nannu Brovave

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