The prisoner who questioned lord RAMA

Now did you know there was a devotee who scolded lord Rama ?

SO to know about this let's do a little time travel. We will travel to 17th century, Kancherla gopanna , a revenue officer (tahasildar) under Golconda sultanate. 

• He was posted in Nelakondapalli (present-day Telangana)

• He used government funds to build the famous Bhadrachalam Rama temple — believing Lord Rama would repay the debt

• For this, he was imprisoned by Nawab Abul Hasan Tana Shah in the Golconda Fort prison for 12 long years.

Ramadasu composed over 100 keerthanas (poems) inside the dark prison cell. These songs drip with raw emotion — anger, longing, sorrow, and unshakeable devotion.He was the only devotee who scolded lord Rama. Some of his famous poems are 

Paluke Bangaramayena :This is one of his most beloved compositions where he questions Rama with deep pain. The Theme is "O Rama, your words have turned to gold (meaning — you have stopped speaking to me). Have you forgotten your devotee who is suffering in prison?

 The Keerthana — "Abbaba Yemi Vedana": It is essentially Ramadasu crying out in agony to Lord Rama — expressing the unbearable pain of prison life while questioning why Rama is silent.

 The Keerthana — "Ikshvaku Kula Tilaka": This is the keerthana where Ramadasu scolded lord rama saying O crown jewel of the Ikshvaku dynasty, will you not speak to me even now, O Ramachandra? If you do not protect me, who else is my protector, O Ramachandra?"I beautifully built the surrounding compound walls for you, O Ramachandra.For those walls alone I spent ten thousand gold varaahas, O Ramachandra".I got a tamarind leaf pendant made for Mother Sita, O Ramachandra.For that pendant alone I spent ten thousand gold varaahas, O Ramachandra.

THEN THE FINAL BOLD LINES CAME AS: "Did your father King Dasharatha send this money? Or Did your father-in-law King Janaka give it? Whose father's money are you proudly enjoying and roaming around, O Ramachandra? Whose father's money are you proudly enjoying and roaming around, O Ramachandra?"

The last lines are absolutely extraordinary in the history of devotional poetry!

Ramadasu is essentially saying:"Hey Rama! The temple, the walls, the jewelry for Sita, Lakshmana, and you — I paid for ALL of it! Not your father, not your father-in-law — I did! And now you sit there enjoying worship while I rot in prison? Whose money is it anyway?!".

After Rama miraculously repaid the debt and Ramadasu was released, he felt deep remorse for scolding Rama. He then composed a keerthana asking forgiveness. Nee Maaya Ela Medaralona , is a keerthana saying "O Rama, I spoke harsh words in my pain and ignorance. Like a child who hits its mother in hunger, my words came from love and suffering. Please forgive this foolish servant".

CONCLUSION : Rama was testing his devotion all along, the suffering is blessing in disguise.

• It shows that true devotion means complete honesty with God

• God is treated as a close relationship — not a distant almighty

• Ramadasu had such intimacy with Rama that he could speak like this

• This level of boldness is called Sakhya Bhakti — friendship with God

• It inspired generations of Telugus that even anger towards God is a form of bhakti.
• This keerthana is one of the greatest treasures of Telugu devotional literature.