Kanakadasa Teachings - Thoughts - Quotes - Sayings

A small collection of teachings, thoughts, sayings and quotes of Kanakadasa

Kanakadasa (c. 1509–1609 CE) was a saint, poet, philosopher, and musician from Karnataka, India—one of the great Haridasa movement figures along with Purandara Dasa. His teachings blended devotion (bhakti), ethics, and social reform, often expressed in simple Kannada through keertanas, ugabhogas, and poems like Ramadhanya Charitre and Mohanatarangini.

Bathing in the holy river without conquering internal pride, envy and wrath is meaningless.

Exhibiting hyperbolic devotion is like an actress exhibiting her illusory beauty.

Does fragrance lie in the flower? Or the flower in fragrance?
Or do both the flower and fragrance lie in the nostrils?
I cannot say, O Lord Adikeshava of Kaginele,
O! peerless one, are all things within you alone?

It is better to quarrel with the wise than to be with the ignorant; it is better to beg in a populous city than to starve in a royal palace; it is better to live in a deserted temple than to live in the company of the jealous.

According to Kanakadasa untouchable is one – ‘who preaches virtue but does not practice it; who serves the king and yet wishes him ill; who lusts after a whore; who poisons the patient through medicine.’

Teachings from the Poems of Kanakadasa

I am a humble non-entity and you are the donor of the entire world. I am without any wisdom and you are the all influential Lord, granting salvation to the devotee.

Just as the learned ones bring up a young parrot, teach it and pleasingly to listen to its gentle words, O Lord, kindly instruct me so that my tongue utters your string of names, and protect me forever.

Protect us, O Lord forever.

Haribhakti Sara of Kanakadasa

ಕನಕದಾಸರ ಉಪದೇಶಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ನುಡಿಮುತ್ತುಗಳು (Teachings and Sayings of Kanakadasa) 

"ಮಾನವ ಜನ್ಮ ದೊಡ್ಡದು, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾನವತ್ವ ಇನ್ನೂ ದೊಡ್ಡದು."
Mānava janma doḍḍadu, adaralli mānavatva innu doḍḍadu.
Human birth is great, but humanity within is greater still. 

"ಕುಲ ಗೊತ್ರ ವಿಚಾರವಿಲ್ಲ ಹರಿಭಕ್ತಗೆ."
Kula gotra vichāravilla Hari bhaktage.
A true devotee of Hari knows no caste or lineage. 

"ನಿನ್ನ ನಂಬಿದೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣನೇ, ನಿನ್ನ ಭಕ್ತರ ಸಂಬಂಧ ನನ್ನದು."
Ninna nambide Kṛṣṇane, ninna bhaktara sambandha nannadu.
O Krishna, my faith lies in You—my kin are Your devotees. 

"ತನ್ನೊಳಗೆ ನೋಡುವವನು ತಾನೇ ತನಗೆ ದೇವರು."
Tannolage nōḍuvavanu tāne tanage devaru.
He who looks within finds his own divinity. 

"ಧನವನ್ನು ಹಾಳೆಯಲು ಸುಲಭ, ಅಹಂಕಾರವನ್ನು ಹಾಳೆಯಲು ಕಷ್ಟ."
Dhanavannu hāḷeyalu sulabha, ahaṅkāravannu hāḷeyalu kaṣṭa.
It is easy to give away wealth, but hard to give up ego. 

"ನಿನ್ನ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ನಿನ್ನ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯಾಗಿದೆ."
Ninna nambike ninna rakṣaṇeyāgide.
Your faith is your protection. 

"ಸತ್ಯವಾಗಲಿ ನಿನ್ನ ನುಡಿ, ಧರ್ಮವಾಗಲಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸ."
Satyavāgali ninna nudi, dharmavāgali ninna kelsa.
Let truth guide your words and righteousness your deeds. 

"ಹರಿ ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಮಾನವಿಗೆ ಮೋಕ್ಷ, ಅಭಿಮಾನದಿಂದ ನರಕ."
Hari bhaktiyinda mānavige mokṣa, abhimānadiṁda naraka.
Devotion leads to liberation; pride leads to downfall. 

"ಕುಡಲು ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ನಿನ್ನ ನಾಮ ಸ್ಮರಣೆಗೆ ಸಮಾನವಿಲ್ಲ."
Kūḍalu Śrīnivāsa ninna nāma smaraṇege samānvilla.
O Srinivasa of Kudala, nothing equals the remembrance of Your name. 

"ನಿನ್ನ ನಂಬದೆ ಇನ್ಯಾರನ್ನೂ ನಂಬುವುದು ವ್ಯರ್ಥ."
Ninna nambade innyārannu nambuvudu vyartha.
To trust anyone but the Divine is futile. 

"ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು ಮಾಡು, ಮಾಡಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಮಾಡು; ದೋಷ ಮಾಡದಿರು."
Oḷḷeyadu māḍu, māḍi māḍi māḍu; dōṣa māḍadiru.
Do good again and again; avoid wrongdoing always. 

"ತಾನೇ ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಡಿ, ಈಶ್ವರನಿಗೆ ದೋಷ ಹಾಕುವುದು ಅಜ್ಞಾನ."
Tāne tappu māḍi, Īśvaranige dōṣa hākuvudu ajñāna.
It is ignorance to blame God for one’s own mistakes. 

"ನಿನ್ನ ಹೃದಯ ಮಂದಿರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿನಗೆ ಶಾಂತಿ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ."
Ninna hr̥daya mandiradalli ninage śānti siguttade.
Find peace in the temple of your own heart. 

"ಭಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜ್ಞಾನವಿದೆ, ಜ್ಞಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿದೆ."
Bhaktiyalli jñānavide, jñānadal li bhaktiyide.
Wisdom lies in devotion, and devotion holds true wisdom. 

"ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮಾತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಬೇಡ, ಕೆಲಸದಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರಿಸು."
Satyavannu mātinalli hēḷabēḍa, kelsadalli tōrisu.
Do not just speak the truth—live it through your actions. 

"ಆದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಪರಾಭಾವ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಈಶ್ವರ ಸಮವಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವನು."
Ādare illa, parābhāva illa, Īśvara samavāgi nōḍuvanu.
There is no high or low before God; He sees all equally. 

"ಹಣ್ಣು ಕೊಟ್ಟವನು ದೈವ ಅಲ್ಲ, ಮರ ನೆಟ್ಟವನೇ ದೈವ."
Haṇṇu koṭṭavanu daiva alla, mara neṭṭavanē daiva.
The one who plants the tree is more divine than the one who enjoys its fruit. 

"ಕ್ಷಮಿಸುವ ಮನಸು ಪವಿತ್ರವಾದ ದೇವಾಲಯ."
Kṣamisuva manasu pavitravāda dēvālaya.
A forgiving heart is a sacred temple. 

"ಮಾನವ ಸೇವೆಯೇ ಮಾಧವ ಸೇವೆ."
Mānava sevayē Mādhava sevē.
Service to humanity is service to God. 

"ನಿನ್ನ ನಾಮವೇ ನನಗೆ ಪಾವನ ಪಾತ್ರ."
Ninna nāmavē nanage pāvana pātra.
Your name, O Lord, is the vessel that purifies my soul. 

Life History of Kanakadasa