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Kanaka Dasa (1509–1609) an influential Mahatma born in Halumatha tradition of kuruba community. He propagated Dwaita philosophy to masses through bhakti movement in Karnataka. He was born in Kaginele, Dharwad district in Karnataka state of India. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and Sri Madhvacharya. His poetry - written in simple and spoken Kannada - reflects his belief that devotion to God lies beyond the artificial hierarchies imposed by caste, class and other divisions of society.

Like many mahatmas like Tukaram, his life demonstrated that devotion to God with self knowledge leads to liberation. Unlike many orthodox saints in the Vashnava Bhakti movement, he wrote many songs on Shiva equating to Adi Keshava.Though of `low' birth - Kanakadasa was a chieftain of the shepherd community - he became one of the most celebrated Bhakti poets of his time, forcing recognition from the castist establishment by the literary and philosophical merit of his writings.

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Kanakadasa belongs to the tradition of Haridasa literary movement which ushered in an era of devotional Kannada literature in Karnataka. He is one of the greatest saints Karnataka has ever produced.

• Thimmappa was his original name born to Beregowda and Beechamma, at Bada Village, He belonged to Kuruba community and was the local chieftain (Nayaka). He came to be called 'Kanaka Nayaka' as he found a treasure-trove of gold [ kanaka means gold in kannada]. He followed Shaivism in the beginning as all others of Kuruba Caste, later on became a close follower of Vaishnavism, and a devotee of Tirupati Venkateshwara.
• Kanaka Nayaka being of the warrior community (Kuruba) his defeat in the field of battle, directed him to the path of devotion. Kanaka Nayaka threw away his sword when the "inner call" came. He was initiated by Vyasaraja and came to be called as Kanakadasa. Kanaka Dasa spent later years of his life most in the company with Vyasaraja, He was already an author of Narasimha stotra, Ramadhyana Mantra, Mohanatarangini before he became a follower of Vyasaraja. The deity he worshipped was Adhikeshava of Kaginele, presently in Haveri district of Karnataka. Kaginele, now a village, was a prosperous place and trading center in middle ages. He lived at Tirupathi in his last days.
• Kanaka Dasa was well educated, had a sharp eye and a mind that analysed social developments. His poems and kirtans deal with every aspect of life and expose the futility of external rituals. They stress the need for cultivation of moral values in life.
• He neutralised the dissidences of Caste and groups and attempted at the solidarity of all castes by abrogating references to Jati, Kula and other distinctions. Kanakadasa made supreme effort in reforming the lower castes, weaning them away from ignorance, superstition and barbaric practices, in order to favour the growth of Bhakthi and devotion in them. His love of his own people compelled him to disregard his own life and to shed the blood of martyr for the sake of their transformation into a life of Ahimsa. God does not ask for blood, what he wants of you is only Bhakthi.
• Though an ardent devotee of God, Kanakadasa was a rebel who protested against social evils like caste system, untouchability, etc. through his poems. Commenting on the castist hypocrisy, he says that he would like to be a servant of a chandala than to be a vicious Brahmin. He was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Krishna.
• Although he comes from Kuruba caste and belonged to Kshatriya varna, he is literally worshipped as saint and social reformer by all sections of society.

1. Nalacharitre
2. Haribhaktisara
3. Nrisimhastava
4. Ramadhanyacharitre; a rare work on class struggle
5. Mohanatarangini

Kanakadasa wrote about two hundred songs (kirtans, padas and mundiges or philosophical songs) besides five major works In Ramadhanyacharitre, an allegory on the conflict between the socially strong and weak castes and classes, presented as an argument between two foodgrains, rice and ragi, is a most creative literary piece with a powerful social message,In the work, rice represents the socially powerful, such as Brahmins, and ragi (millet) represents the working people. The two grains come before Rama to argue their case and establish their superiority. In the end Rama sends both of them to prison for six months. At the end of the period, rice has turned rotten while the hardy ragi survives, earning Rama's blessings. He was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Krishna.In one his compositions he says,"Eternal hell is for those whocriticize noble men,for those who condemn Madhva's teachings...".

Kanakadasa, once wanted to have a 'darshan' (encounter) of the Lord Krishna in Udupi. He was not allowed into the shrine by castists as he was not a higher-caste by birth. Kanakadasa then started singing praise of Shri Krishna and was lost to outside world in a corner outside the temple. Legend has it that the idol of Krishna, which heretofore had been facing east, turned around to face west, as the western wall collapsed so that Kanakadasa could have darshan, A small window was constructed at the breach later. The idol of Lord Krishna is still today worshipped through the window. This window came to be known as Kanakana kindi (Kanaka’s window). The memory of Kanakadasa was permanently etched in the temple of his beloved Lord Krishna . Today that window stands as a tribute to the unique saint of Karnataka.

• Purandara Dasa
• Vyasaraja
• Shri Madhvacharya

• Information about Kanaka Dasa

v • d • e Madhva religious figures
Madhvacharya · Vadirajatirtha · Vyasatirtha · Raghavendra Swami · Naraharitirtha · Jayatirtha · Sripadaraya · Purandara Dasa · Kanaka Dasa · Vijaya Dasa