Purandara Dasa

Introduction

The life story of the transformation of a millionaire businessman into a poet saint and a lover of God has enthralled millions of spiritual seekers in their quest for God and the goal of life. This was none other than the saint of Karnataka Purandara Dasa. His Guru Vyasaraya who was also the Rajguru of the Vijayanagara Empire paid him the ultimate tribute ‘Dasarendare Purandara Dasarayya’ meaning ‘exemplary among all devotees’. He is referred to as the Karnataka Sangeetha Pitamaha or the doyen of Carnatic music.

Socio- Religious Atmosphere of those times

The twelfth and fourteenth century in Karnataka gave rise to two important socio religious movements Vaishnavism and Dvaitha philosophy propagated by Basaveshwara and Madhvacharya respectively which moulded the culture of the masses. They were widely accepted by the people as they used the local mother tongue Kannada which was easily understood by them. Their spiritual thoughts, experiences and religious ideas were expressed in the form of rhythmic prose compositions called Vachanas and Kirtanas. These Dasas or Haridasas as they were referred to were messengers in service of the Lord who sang their messages of love and devotion moving from place to place. They spread the Bhakti movement and the Dvaitha philosophy of Madhvacharya. The advent of Purandara Das brought about the Bhakti movement already prevalent in Pandharpur in Maharashtra and Lord Vitthala was equated to Lord Vishnu and subsequently to Lord Krishna of Udupi. Purandara Dasa tried to bring about a change in the rigid caste system and remove the evils prevalent in society through his songs.

Birth and Early life

Purandara Dasa was said to have been born in 1484 CE. Some legends state that he was born in Purandaragadha a small town near Pune in Maharashtra while others claim that he was actually born in Kshemapura near Tirthahalli in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka. His parents were Varadappa Nayaka and Leelavati. His birth name was Srinivasa Nayaka after the Lord of Tirupathi. His father was a wealthy merchant dealing in gemstones and pawning and he was given a sound education which included Kannada, Sanskrit and sacred music. He was married at the young age of 16 years to Saraswathibai a pious and devout girl. At the age of 20 he lost both his parents and inherited his father’s business and being shrewd with a sharp business acumen he prospered and was referred to as ‘ Navakoti Narayana’. His love for money was intense to the exclusion of everything else. But as his fortunes increased his greed and miserliness too increased to the dislike of his noble and pious wife. It is said that he was so miserly that he even objected to the expenses incurred in the pujas that she performed asking her to restrict herself to Tulsi Puja which required only the offerings of tulsi leaves and water for which there was no need to spend any money. When she objected that it would incur the displeasure of the Gods, Srinivasa Nayaka asked her what role God played in the hard work and subsequent amassing of wealth by him and his forefathers.

His Awakening

Legends say that the Lord decided that it was time to awaken him and took the form of a poor Brahmin. The Brahmin approached Srinivasa Nayaka to beg for some money to perform his son’s thread ceremony. After thwarting him for a number of days he finally refused. The Brahmin then went to the residence of Srinivasa Nayaka and begged his wife to help him knowing her to be a noble and generous woman. His wife wished to help him but she realised that she was not in a position to help him without the permission of her husband. The Brahmin then told her that she could give him her diamond nose stud as it was given to her by her parents at the time of her wedding. The Brahmin then took the nose stud and went to sell it at Srinivasa Nayaka’s shop. Since the stud resembled the one worn by his wife Srinivasa Nayaka was shocked and asked him to return the next day. Hurrying home he confronted his wife and asked her to bring it to him. Saraswathibai was alarmed. Not knowing how to face her husband with the truth she decided to take her own life. Pouring poison into a cup as she began to drink it she was stunned to hear a metallic sound and found the stud in her cup. She could not believe her eyes and with her heart filled with gratitude she bowed to Lord Krishna and took the jewel and gave it to her husband. Srinivasa Nayaka was shocked. He was certain that he had undoubtedly locked it in his safe. He ran to the shop and opened his safe to find it missing with no sign of the old Brahmin anywhere. Suddenly he had a deep awakening and the chains of maya that had bound him broke and his inner eye opened. He realised that the Lord in his grace and mercy had appeared before him to open his eyes. His miserliness and greed made him ashamed of himself and from that day onwards he was a changed man.  He distributed all his wealth to charity and completely surrendered to the Lord. He was said to be around 30 years old at this time. He then began his search for a spiritual teacher and found him in the great saint Vyasatirtha the Guru of Krishnadevaraya the Emperor of the Vijayanagara kingdom.

Later Years

Srinivasa Nayaka was now called Purandara Dasa and he settled down in Hampi with his wife and children to a new life. Every morning he would set out with a tanpura and cymbals and wearing a flower garland around his neck sing the glories of the Lord. He enchanted people with his glorious and divine songs and accepted alms given to him during his wanderings.  Thus he is said to have travelled the length and breadth of the Vijayanagara Empire and even sung at the court of the King Krishnadevaraya. He led a life of piety and renunciation among great difficulties. He took care of his wife and children suffering poverty and disease in the process. But he never gave up his unflinching devotion nor his strength of purpose. He showed the masses how to develop purity of mind and heart.

Some Miraculous Events

Purandaradasa had a close disciple named Appanna. Once on his request to bring water to wash his limbs his disciple did not respond to his call. In anger Purandaradasa struck his head with a brass container. Suddenly he was stunned to see his precious idol of Lord Vittala with a swell in the head. Moved to tears he realised that it was the Lord immanent in all beings. He ran to the idol and embracing it to his chest begged for forgiveness. The swelling on the head of the idol vanished. Another incident stated where the Lord in the form of Purandaradasa took a gold bracelet from the temple and gave it to a woman in the town. When the priests complained to the temple authorities the police apprehended the woman who explained that it was Purandaradasa who had given it to her. When Purandaradasa was caught and beaten with a whip, a voice from heaven declared his innocence and he was released. The people then realised his greatness.

His passing away

Purandaradasa passed away in 1564 at the age of 80 years and his death anniversary is celebrated in the second fortnight of the month of Pushya on the new moon day. His Guru Vyasaraya gave his Keertanas the exalted status of Upanishads by referring to them as Purandaropanishad. Through his literature and compositions he tried to awaken spirituality, rid society of various social evils like caste system, untouchability etc and bring about a transformation among the people. Under the Dasa Sahitya project the TTD (TirumalaTirupathi Devasthanam) is now propagating and popularising the literature of Purandaradasa.

Purandaradasa’s contribution to music

Purandaradasa is said to have systematised the method of teaching Carnatic music by introducing graded lessons and he also introduced many important ragas. His works touched many musical types like Keertanas, Padams and many other rare forms of music. His lyrics were simple colloquial sentences in Kannada which could be easily understood by the masses. His compositions are equally popular even in Hindustani music and he is said to have composed lakhs of songs though only a few hundred compositions are accessible today.  The saint and great doyen of Carnatic music Thyagaraja who was born a few centuries later was said to have been greatly influenced by him which was expressed in his literary work Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam.

Some compositions

1. I won’t leave your feet, no matter what happens

I won’t leave your name even when I’m in water

I won’t leave you even if I fall carrying a heavy burden

I won’t leave you even if someone confronts me with a sharp weapon

I won’t leave you even under poverty or any difficult situation

For what do I care when the responsibility of taking care of Purandara

In this life rests with you O Vittala.

 

2. How can You see the Lord

When you put a mark on your forehead,

When you carry a sacred pot and bathe yourself

But your mind is steeped in desires

And you have no devotion for the Lord

I care not for sandhya, japa or tapa

Purandara sees only the two feet of Lord Vittala.

 

3.  O Lord make me a servant of yours

Rid me of my wicked thoughts

Let me worship your feet

Place your protective hand on my head

You are said to protect those

Who surrender to you

Take away all my pain and suffering

O Vittala protect this Purandara always.

Conclusion

Purandara Dasa consolidated the congregation of saints known as Dasakootas of Karnataka who wished to bring about the rehabilitation and spiritual awakening of the masses and ensured their continuity. He was a saint, a literary genius and a master musician. His Keertanas were divine showers of melody and depicted his yearning for the Lord and deep spiritual hunger which could only be assuaged through union with the Lord. He exemplified the joy of total surrender to the Lord. He is said to have been the great saint Narada reborn to spread the efficacy of the name and form of the Lord through music. Even centuries after passing away such saints through their works reawaken mankind to their spiritual goal the purpose of all existence namely self realisation and bliss.