Sri Kalloor Subbanna Dasaru 1720--1815 AD

There was a great scholar Subbannachar in a village called Kalloor, who was an authority of “Nyayasudha”. This was a kriti written as a commentary on Srimad Madhwacharyaru’s Brahmasuthra Bhashya, by Sri Jaya Theertharu (also known as Tikacharyaru). But Subbannachar was subject to intellectual arrogance. He had heard about Sri Vijaya Dasaru but looked down upon him as a mere kannada song composer. There was a religious event “Sudha Mangala” in his place where Sri Vijaya Dasaru came disguised as a cook and prepared the special sweet dish “Mandige” since the original cook was had not turn up.

Sri Vijaya Dasaru requested him for a few teachings from Sudha. But Subbannachar in his arrogance insulted him saying Sudha is far above intellect. Sri Vijaya Dasaru, without getting disturbed, requested for at least a line from Sudha and he was again turned down. Sri Vijaya Dasaru pulled an odd job person from the kitchen in front of Subbanachar and holding his hand on his head commanded him to give pravachana on Sudha. The odd job person confounded the entire audience and Subbanachar with a non-stop recital of Nyaya Sudha, as long as Sri Vijaya Dasaru held his hand. The moment Sri Vijaya Dasaru dropped his hand his intellect dropped back to its original level. Subbannachar was stunned. He realized he is standing before a Mahatma blessed by God. He fell at his feet and requested to be accepted as his disciple.

Further Sri Vijaya Dasaru fulfilled his wish to be made a Haridasa and gave him the Ankita nama of “Vyasa Vittala”. This disciple of Sri Vijaya Dasaru later on composed a stothra in praise of his Guru Sri Vijaya Dasaru which is famously called as “Vijaya Kavacha” which is recited even today regularly and has been a tradition with the Kannada women folk for the past 250 years.