🙏 Om namo Bhagavathe Nithyanandaya 🙏

Devarakonda a small place near Dharwad a couple named Shaheba Gowda and Gurumathai. Where blessed with a godly child named Chennabasayya. Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja’s earlier name was Chennabasayya . He was named so as he was blessed with Ulluvi Chennabasavanna . During his early age Chennabasayya started to show his Bala leelas and hence he was called as Chennabasayya.

When Chennabasayya used take his cattles for grazing the monkeys used to come and eat all the fruits, seeing this he used to not chase them away but enjoyed looking and laughing at them and let them eat everything, seeing this his parents used to beat and scold him. When little Chennabasayya used to go his fields he used to sit under a tree and become Dhyanasaktha.

All the cattles from the near by fields used come grazing to his fields and eat all the crops grown. When Chennabasayya was being questioned regarding it he used reply innocently saying – they are hungry, they have come to eat, so to chase them, they are hungry let them eat.

They were from Saheba Ancestry family, they used to go walking to Buddanagudda Basavanna . There lived a Mahatma named Bhootheshwaranatha. Along with other boys Chennabasayya set to leave along with him he took some Roti and vegetables to eat them on his way which his mother had packed up for him. After reaching there it was late evening when Chennabasayya seeked the darshana of Mahathapasvi Bhoothanatha. Mahathapasvi Bhoothanatha looking at the boys and creasing their head and patting their body said – my beloved black horse had gone grazing and has not yet come back, among you’ll who will go searching for it and bring it back. Hearing this the boys set themselves in search of it in the dusked shadows of light. The little boy Chennabasayya came along with the horse.

Looking at this the Mahathapasvi Bhoothanath delighted with joy embraced the boy and said – ” you are my Shishya “. After which he gave him the mantra ” Alakh Niranjan ” and the Panchakshari mantra. Chennabasayya by the grace of Guru and Kripa was later called as ” Chennavrashabendara “. After which later on his same Guru made him read Avadhootha Geetha and told him the rahasya behind it. After knowing the rahasya being explained by his Guru the boy gained niyantrana (control) over his Manna and Indriyas.

As the days passed out Chennabasayya’s parents expired. After which Eshwara Gowda the eldest among all brothers and his wife Parvathi along with Chennabasayya and his youngest brother Mudhi Gowda stayed in their ancestral house. Chennabasayya’s sister in law Parvathi was a wicked lady. She used torture Chennabasayya’s and his youngest brother Mudhi Gowda , make them work hard and used to feed them with rotten food.

It once happened so that some village goans murdered Eshwara Gowda and threw his body into a well. Seeing her husband killed dead Parvathi though her both brother in laws were involved with the goans and blamed Chennabasayya’s and his brother Mudhi Gowda and handed them over to the police. Like a yogi without having obligations Chennabasayya along with his brother were taken to Kalagatki jail. The jailor of that jail was a Dattha upasaka seeing at the Balayogi Chennabasayya’s Dhyan,Pooja and his behavior. The jailor was completely moved and sent the credentials Letters to his higher authority for the release of Chennabasayya and his brother Mudhi Gowda and so they were released. Seeing them being released from the jail, their sister in law Parvathi on Fear ( as she had laid fake criminal charges over them) freed from their ancestral house. Later Chennabasayya’s and his brother Mudhi Gowda came back to their house and after coming back they removed all the windows and doors of their house and along with that they donated all the utensils inside the house. Seeing things happening so an old women related to Parvathi started scold Chennabasayya’s and his brother using bad words meanwhile Chennabasayya accidently pushes the old lady away due to which the old lady dies. This incident again took Chennabasayya and his brother Mudhi Gowda back to the Rathnagiri jail. For an Avadhootha there is no difference between a jail and a house as all are equal to him. In Rathnagiri jail Chennabasayya being behaving crazy, showing his Bala Leela, by beating and hitting he was taken to the mental asylum of the jail. There was a Doctor named Kaale who was a Hari devotee.

Balayogi who was in his Bala Leela once took hundreds of tablets and medicines together and swallowed it and be alive as nothing would happen to the Balayogi. Nothing used to happen to the Bala yogi even if anybody would beat him, even if he starved for many days without having food. Seeing this Doctor Kaale realized this boy was not a ordinary boy but a Avatar Purusha. The Leela’s of Chennabasayya became wide spread all over. It once happened so that jailor Jake’s daughter who was pregnant and was into labour pains. There were some complications during labor. At that time the Avatar Balayogi Chennabasayya washed his feet and made the pregnant lady to drink the water as soon as she drank the water she delivered a healthy baby without having any kind of complications. This micarle attracted many devotees towards Chennabasayya and devotees started to visit Jail to have the darshana. Seeing the a huge number of devotees visit to the jail the higher authoritiesof the jail made opportunity and arrangements for the visit in the jail. Being like this once Chennabasayya ran away from the jail and was chased and he jumped over a 60 foot ridge and sat over it. Which surprised the people around and when he was questioned saying – ” How were able to jump over? “. Very innocently he replied saying – “I do not know in case if you’ll wished to then I could jumpand show you’ll like a monkey saying Durr Alakh Niranjan ” he jumped down. Due to the rapid forceof his jump he broke off his two teeth from front, blood started to gush off for which Chennabasayya took a handful of mud and applied on it and got it cured . This Leela Avatar of Balayogi Chennabasayya became so famous that it even reached into the ears of Queen Victoria. On hearing this she understood that he was not a common boy and she finally passed an order for the release of the Avatar Balayogi Chennabasayya and his brother Mudhi Gowda. Like this Chennabasayya used jump over the bed of thorns but it used to not effect him. As the same way even if he was being beaten up or hit hardly, or even being set up on fire it used to not effect him because he was not Shareera but Shareere. Chennabasayya’s brother was named as Eshwsra and his wife was Parvathi but the real Eshwara and Parvathi were with inside Chennabasayya’s, which ment that name does not matter it’s the divinity inside.

Leela’s of Devarakonda Ajja :

A deep devotee of Chennavrashabendara named Gangappa Kalal from sampagavi. When Chennavrashabendara reached the Avadhootha Sthithi the local people from sampagavi and his devotees used to call him as – Devarakonda Ajja. It once happened so that Devarakonda Ajja had scolded baldly to some people, so on vengeance they hit Devarakonda Ajja on his head and broke his head. They had hit him so badly that the brain inside was about to come outside. Blood kept gushing out. Devarakonda Ajja took a handful of mud in his hand and applied it over his broken skull. He was a Avatar purusha as soon as he applied the wound got cured by itself and he became perfect.

Once plague got spreaded in the nearby surroundings , people began to die due to it. A devotee of Devarakonda Ajja named Kulagangappa got effected by this disease. Suffering siviour pain and with that pain he screamingly called out for his Avadhootha Guru Devarakonda Ajja around night 11 ‘0’ clock. Hearing to his plea the Avadhootha Guru appeared before his house and bang the door asked him to open the door. When the door got opened Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja asked saying – “Give me Devi Give me Devi “. For Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja local liquor was ment to be as Devi. He took the toddy and drank till his throat was filled with it and joyful he gave two hard dried dates to his devotee and asked him to eat and blessed him. Saying so the Avadhootha went outside, again he returned back and said – ” I asked you to eat both of it but you ate only one of it and the second one you have kept it for your nephew, don’t keep it for him as his death is confirmed so you eat both of it” saying so the Avadhootha left from there. As per the command from the Avadhootha Guru Gangappa ate both of it and got cured.

Once Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja had again visited Gangappa’s house and said – ” buy the land on to the east side which is very good for you ” saying so he left from there. Gangappa who was a poor man got to worry thinking that how he could buy the land as he had no enough money to buy. But in a miraculous way his friends helped him out to buy the land and he bought the land. After buying the land Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja came and wished to see the land and when he went there he asked Gangappa to get well dug on the east direction and he would get water for his field. People around there began to think and talked that in this Barren land from where he would get water. But as per the Avadhootha Guru’s command Gangappa dug out a well in which he got more than enough water. As per the Avadhootha Vani (words) within six foot he got enough water and he was also told by his Avadhootha Guru that he would get a conch shell inside, which Devarakonda Ajja had asked him to take to his house. Gangappa took the conch shell and started to worship it and became blessed. Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja( Chennavrashabendara) used to smoke ganjja for which once the police caught hold of him and took him to the police station. But when he reached there the leaves were turned to ashes.

Once Devarakonda Ajja peed (stool)off in a place called Harugeri and said that this place in future will become a good big place for business. Later when he pissed off in a place near Harugeri, he kept saying that- in this place the water would flow down. As per the words of the Avadhootha after the dam was being built over Malaprabha river the water got flowed and now it’s a big business place.

It once happened so that in Bailhongal when the Avadhootha was in his upadesha (preaching), a young shoot mustached man named Bhaskar a gold merchant, behaving in a weird way making fun and criticizeing of the Guru and arguing and distracting the environment around. Seeing this Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja scoldingly said – without knowing anything do not talk rubbish as later on you will be into problem. On hearing to this he replied scoldingly – you superstitious fool, Begger, and came takeing off his slippers and came to hit the Avadhootha. Looking at this the people stopped him. Seeing this the Avadhootha said – ” Note it down very clearly that this is the words of the Avadhootha but three years, three months, three weeks, three hours, and three seconds through a lady he would be imprisoned”. As per the words of the Avadhootha exactly on set time Bhaskar was imprisoned on the bases of ill treating a woman and was presented before the court and punished. Later realising his mistakes Bhasker asked for the forgiveness from the Avadhootha and was released from the prison. Due to his shameful act Bhaskar was unable to show his face in his village and went begging in Kakathi and spend roaming.

Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja was called as Chennabasayya, Chennavrashabendara, Devarakonda Ajja, Avadhootha Ajja. In one of his grantha he has mentioned himself as. ‘ Shanmukha’ avatar. When mother Parvathi asks her son shanmukha to go down to the earth and take a human form. As down in the earth people worshiping God’s and goddess in big temples and worshipping the flowing rivers the punya in the land is spoilt and destroyed by them hence by your sparsha or touch they would regain their energy and shakthi. The bad must be punished and good will saved and protected. The words from your mouth will have tremendous shakthi in it. Shanmukha means Gyani, he was a Athma Gyani.

When Devarakonda Ajja was in Bhavihall near Bailhongal, took the darshana of the Avadhootha nesargi’s Sahukar ( landlord) named Annche Nanappa and one more man from Yethina manne Bassappa had come. In his village Nesargi he wanted to arrange for a Basava Purana with big pomp and show and so he wanted Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja to be in divine presence and so he invited the Avadhootha. On the invitation given Devarakonda Ajja replied saying – ” no you won’t make it possible “. On hearing it Annche Nanappa replied saying- ” I do not have any short comings for money, charity, servents, and people from the village as all the villagers are along with me. As mine is a royal family, so I will make everything possible and all the expenses shall be bared by me and I will take of the function “. Hearing his words Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja said – ” no everything cannot be done by you, no do not do it “. Finally side lineing the words of the Avadhootha and convensing the Avadhootha the Purana function got started with all pomp and show. On the last day of the Purana the oil on the lamp was less and was burning low. Meanwhile Annche Nanappa had been busy with work had been to the court and got stuck at Bailhongal itself. Seeing the lamp burninglow a devotee informed Devarakonda Ajja. The Avadhootha commanded saying – ” go to Annche Nanappa’s house and bring oil “. When asking for oil in Nagappa’s wife scolding she sent back the people and did not give any oil. When the Avadhootha came to know about this scolding bad words Avadhootha said – “with great ego he said that he would do everything “. Meanwhile Nanappa lost his case in the court and disheartened and upset when he came back to his house his wife informed him about everything that had happened and also about the Avadhootha scolding him for not giving up the oil. Hearing it furious with anger Nanappa said – ” a sadhu, a bikshuka how dare he scolds me, a beggar after all”. Took his big Rifle and came to the function and pointing the gun towards the Avadhootha he shot the bullet but the bullet did not shoot out. Seeing this Avadhootha replied -” you want to shoot me with a bullet, but you will be shot by the bullet that will come from the sky “. After this incident took place exactly four days after it when Annche Nanappa was going in a bullock cart to belagavi, accompanied by other four members to get a license for a wooden Depot. Suddenly with out any clouds, or rains, or any wind. A lightening with a huge sound came and struck Nanappa .Nanappa was hit with a huge ball of fire by which he was burned into ashes.

This incident shows that when a Avadhootha was tried to be shot with an ordinary bullet which did not effect him but instead he commanded the ashtha Dikpalalas the nature it self obeyed the Avadhoothas command.

Beeri Sangappa of Madanbavi was a great devotee of Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja. Sangappa had a buffalo in his house which was not able to give milk nor had given birth to any calf for many years. When Devarakonda Ajja had visited Sangappa’s house. He went near the buffalo and said – ” don’t you have any sense, with pure heart Sangappa is being taking care of you and feeding you, can’t you give him milk ” saying so Devarakonda Ajja hit the buffalo at once the buffalo started to give milk and gave a vessel full of milk without even giving birth to a calf.

There it self in a near by in a farmers field there was a mango tree which never gave fruits. Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja went under that tree and pissed off and commanded to the trees ” give fruits any more “. Within a period of month the mango tree beared sweet ripped fruits. The Avadhootha had said to the farmer that the fruits should be distributed and eaten. The farmer was greedy enough that he did not obey the Avadhootha’s words and had all fruits for him self which he ate some and sold off the rest. At last the tree stopped giving fruits.
In this incident of Devarakonda Ajja make us realise that a tree would listen to the words of a mahathma but a stupid human being would not listen to a mahathamas words.

In our next article we would be sharing more interesting things of Avadhootha Devarakonda Ajja and about his Devine leela’s

To be continued

🙏Namo Nithyanandaya 🙏

Written by Swami Vijayananda
(Book ~ Avadhootha Darshan)