Ankita Murthy of Vijaya Vittala

On this Auspicious day of Vijayadasara Aradhana, let’s look at how Sri Vijayarayaru got his Ankita Murthy of Vijaya Vitala.

Sri Malagi Srinivasachar, a great scholar, lived in the town of Raichur. He was a devoted Hari Bhakta who worshipped rigorously his personal deity in the form of Vijaya Vittala. He was getting older and wanted to make certain that the murthy was entrusted to the right person for daily aradhana. One night, he received instructions from Lord Vijaya Vittala to make every effort to hand over the murthy to Vijaya Dasaru.

Fortunately (coincidentally), Sri Vijayadasru was travelling (sanchara) to Raichur, where he met all sadbhaktas and taught Hari Bhakti and Madhva sidhantha. Sri Malagi achar paid a visit to Dasaru’s bidara (camp) and invited Dasaru to his humble home. Normally, Sri Vijaya daasaru would never visit anyone’s home, but instead would invite all sadbhaktas to his camp and serve food; this was his deeksha. This time, however, Sri Dasarayaru complied and accepted Sri Malagi Achar’s invitation. He had the impression that today would be a fantastic day, and that something wonderful would occur.

The next day, Sri Vijaya daasaru and his family along with well-wishers arrived at Sri Malagi Acharya’s residence. Acharya and his family were overjoyed (unimaginable) and eagerly anticipated the sanga of Dasaraayaru. Dasaraayas ahnika (religious rites) and other programmes had been planned. Meanwhile, Sri Malagi Acharya began his nitya pooja of Sri Vijaya Vittala murthy and was pleased that the Lord would now be served by a rightful/appropriate person. He devoted himself to the Lord (performed shodasha puja with (bhakti and bhava – sentiment of pure devotion). He performed naivedya with 64 items to Lord Vijaya Vittala. As Acharya finished the puja, he noticed Dasa Rayaru was preparing to consume prasada (lunch). Acharya dashed to dasa raayaru and presented him with a sampushta (valuable box) containing Lord Vijaya Vittala’s murthy adorned with jewels.

Image of Sri Vijaya Vittala

It is impossible to express Sri Vijaya raayaru’s joy. Dasaru devotedly received the deity of Sri Vijaya vittala and made it as his main archamurthy. Dasaraayaru finally got his Ankita murthy after several years of waiting. Dasaraayaru danced freely and sang the following song:

ಈತನೀಗ ವಿಜಯ ವಿಠ್ಠಲಾ
ಈತಜ್ಞಾನೀಗ ವಿಜಯ ವಿಠ್ಠಲಾ
ಮಾತು ಮಾತಿಗೆ ನೆನಸಿದವರ
ಪಾತಕಗಳ ಪರಿದು ಯಮನ
ಯಾತನೆಯನು ಕಳೆದು ಪೊರೆವಾ

ಕರೆದರೊಂದೆ ನುಡಿಗೆ ಬಂದು
ಕರುಣದಿಂದ ಮುಂದೆ ನಿಂದು
ಕರವ ಪಿಡಿದು ಅಂದು ಅಭಯ
ಕರವ ಪಾಲಿಸಿದ ದಯಾಸಿಂಧು
ಪರಿಪರಿಯಿಂದಲಿ ಹಿಂದು ಮುಂದು
ದುರಿತದಿಂದ ನೊಂದು ಬಂದು
ಇರಲು ದಾಸರ ದಾಸರನೆಂದು
ಮೊರೆ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿ ಸಾಕಿದನಿಂದು ||1||

ಅಚ್ಯುತಾನಂತನೆಂಬ ನಾಮಾ
ಅಚ್ಚು ಸುಧೆಯೆನಗೆ ನೇಮಾ
ನಿಚ್ಚ ಉಣಲಿಕಿತ್ತ ಪ್ರೇಮಾ
ಚಚ್ಚಲದಲಿ ಪೂರ್ಣಕಾಮಾ
ಹೆಚ್ಚಿ ಬಪ್ಪ ಮದದಾ ಸ್ತೋಮಾ
ನುಚ್ಚು ಮಾಡಿ ಬಿಡುವ ಭೀಮಾ
ನಿಚ್ಚ ಮನದ ಕುಮುದ ಸೋಮಾ
ಸುಚ್ಚರಿತ ಸಾರ್ವಭೌಮಾ||2||

ಮೊದಲೆ ಗುರು ಪುರಂದರದಾಸರಾ
ಹೃದಯದೊಳಗೆ ನಿಂದಾ ಶೃಂಗಾರಾ
ಉದಧಿಯೋ ಇದು ಬಣ್ಣಿಸಿಬಲ್ಲ್ಲಿರಾ
ತ್ರಿದಶರೊಳಗೆ ಕಾಣೆ ಜ್ಞಾನರ
ಸದಮಲಾನಂದ ಪೂರ್ಣ ಇಂದಿರಾ
ಸದನಾ ಪ್ರತಾಪಗುಣ ಪಾರಾವಾರಾ
ಚದುರ ವಿಜಯವಿಠ್ಠಲ ಗಂಭೀರಾ
ಪದೋಪದಿಗೆ ಎನ್ನಯ ಮನೋಹರಾ||3||

 This story can be confirmed thru various songs written by Vijaya Dasara Shishyas:

ಮಾಳಿಗಿ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಸಾಚಾರ್ಯರ ಕೈಯ
ಮೇಲಾಗಿ ಪೂಜೆಗೊಂಬುವ ವಿಠಲನು
ಆಲಯಕೆ ಬರಲಾಗಿ ತಾಳಿ ಹರುಷದಿಂದ
ಭೂಲೋಕದೊಳಗೆ ಯಾತ್ರೆಯನು ಸಂಚರಿಸುತ || ಹಯವದನ ದಾಸರು

ಸಿರಿ ವಿಜಯವಿಠಲನ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಸಾಚಾರ್ಯರು
ಹರಿಯಾಜ್ಞೆಯಿಂದ ಕೊಟ್ಟರು = ದಿಟ್ಟರು || ಮೋಹನ ದಾಸರು

Later, the murthy was handed over to Gopala daasaru by Sri Vijayadasaru, according to the song written by the former:

ಮಾಳಿಗಿ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಸಾಚಾರ್ಯರ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ
ಶೀಲಗುರು ವಿಜಯದಾಸರಿಗೆ ಒಳಿದು
ಮೇಲಾಗಿ ಬಹುಪರಿಯಿಂದ ಪೂಜೆಗೊಂಡು
ಕೀಳು ಮನುಜನ ಎನ್ನ ಪಾಲಿಸಬೇಕೆಂದು ..
ಬಂದ್ಯಾ ವಿಠಲ ಇಂದು ಬದವನಲ್ಲಿ || ಗೋಪಾಲ ದಾಸರು

I believe it is currently in the family heredity of Sri Gopala Dasaru at Gadwal under Sri Venkobadasa’s residence

By Naraprasanna Vittalana Dasa