Purandara
Dasa (c. 1484 – c. 1565) was an Indian philosopher, a Haridasa, a renowned
composer of Carnatic music, a great devotee of Lord Krishna, a Vaishnava poet,
a saint and a social reformer. He was a disciple of the Dvaita
philosopher-saint Vyasatirtha, and a contemporary of yet another Haridasa, Kankadasa.
His guru, Vyasatirtha, glorified Purandara Dasa in a song thus: Dasarendare
purandara Dasarayya. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief
founding-proponents of South Indian classical music (Carnatic music). He is
respected as an Avatara (incarnation) of the great sage Narada (a celestial
being who is also a singer).
Purandara
Dasa was one of the most important music scholars of medieval India. He
formulated the basic lessons of teaching Carnatic music by structuring graded
exercises known as Svaravalis and Alankaras and at the same time, he introduced
the raga Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners in the
field – a practice that is still followed today. He also composed Gitas (simple
songs) for novice students.
Purandara
Dasa is noted for composing Dasa Sahithya, as a Bhakti movement vocalist, and a
music scholar. His practice was emulated by his younger contemporary,
Kanakadasa. Purandara Dasa's Carnatic music compositions are mostly in Kannada,
though some are in Sanskrit. He signed his compositions with the ankitanama
(pen name) "Purandara Vittala" (Vittala is another name of the
supreme one, Lord Krishna) and this same form of Lord Krishna is his aaradhya
daiva or worshippable deity.
Biography
Inscriptional
evidence suggests Purandara Dasa was born to a diamond merchant in a Kannada
Deshastha Madhva Brahmin family, in 1484 CE in Kshemapura, near Tirthahalli,
Shivamogga district.
The
only son of Varadappa Nayaka, a wealthy merchant, and Leelavati, he was named
Srinivasa Nayaka. He received a good education in accordance with the family
traditions and acquired proficiency in Kannada, Sanskrit, and sacred music. At
the age of 16 he was married to one Saraswati Bai, held by tradition to have
been a pious young girl. He lost his parents at age 20, thereby inheriting his
father's business of gemstones and pawning. He prospered and became known as
Navakoti Narayana(an abundantly rich man; worth ninety millions).
Miraculous Incident
Popular
legend narrates an incident in Srinivaasa Nayaka's life, owing to which he was
led to devote himself to the practice, propagation and inculcation of devotion
towards Lord Krishna through musical compositions.
At
30 years of age, he gave away all his wealth in charity, and together with his
family, abandoned his house to lead the life of a mendicant – living on alms
and singing the glories of the Lord. In his very first song composition, he
laments his wasted life of indulgence.
In
the course of his wandering he met the holy sage Vyasatirtha, one of the chief
exponents of Madhwa philosophy and the raajaguru of Krishnadevaraaya. He was name as Purandara Daasa. Purandara
Daasa traveled extensively through the length and breadth of the Vijayanagara
empire in Karnataka, Tirupati, Pandharapura composing and rendering soul-
stirring songs in praise of God. He spent his last years in Hampi and also sang
in Krishnadevaraaya's durbaar. The mantapa in which he stayed is known as
Purandara Daasa Mantapa in Hampi.
He
died on 2 January 1565 at the age of 80. Within a short period after his death,
Vijayanagara empire collapsed. Tradition and legend hold that he composed
475,000 keerthanas (songs). Most of his songs are in praise of Lord Naraayana
and other Devatas. Due to this believed to be an avatar of Naarada, the
celestial singer and son of Goddess Saraswati. One of the 'trimurtis (three
icons) of Carnaatic music, Saint Thyagaraja, has paid tribute to Purandara
Daasa in his Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam.
Purandara Dasa and Carnatic music
Purandara
Dasa systematized the method of teaching Carnatic music which is followed to
the present day. He introduced the raga Mayamalavagowla as the basic scale for
music instruction and fashioned a series of graded lessons such as swaravalis,
janti swaras, alankaras, lakshana geetas, prabandhas, ugabhogas, daatu varase,
geeta, sooladis and kritis.
Another
of his important contributions was the fusion of bhava, raga, and laya in his
compositions. He included comments on ordinary daily life and elements of
colloquial language in his lyrics. He introduced folk ragas into the
mainstream, setting his lyrics to tunes/ragas of his day so that even a common
man could learn and sing them. He also composed a large number of lakshya and
lakshana geetas, many of which are sung to this day. His sooladis are musical
masterpieces and are the standard for raga lakshana. Scholars attribute the
standardization of varna mettus entirely to Purandara Dasa.
Purandara
Dasa was a vaggeyakara (composer-performer), a lakshanakara (musicologist), and
the founder of musical pedagogy. For all these reasons and the enormous
influence that he had on Carnatic music, musicologists call him the Sangeeta
Pitamaha of Carnatic music.
Purandara
Dasa had great influence on Hindustani music. The foremost Hindustani musician
Tansen's teacher, Swami Haridas, also a Saraswat Brahmin, was Purandara Dasa's
disciple.
Social Reforms
Purandara
Dasa tried to reform existing practices in the society, and preached to others
in the local language, Kannada by singing devotional songs. The mind has to be
turned away from transient pleasures and possessions of this world; instead, it
is to be turned towards the Lord, who alone is the abode of unadulterated,
unswerving bliss. Purandara Dasa fought the evils of casteism through his
songs. He was against the caste system, and believed true caste was based on
character, not on birth. According to Purandara Dasa there were no inequalities
among men and women. Both of them had same rights and obligations in their
conduct of everyday life as well as observation of pity.
Though
the compositions of Purandara Dasa are originally in the ragas of the Carnatic
system of music, his compositions have been adopted and made equally popular in
Hindustani music. Hindustani music legends such as Bhimsen Joshi, Madhav Gudi
and Basavaraj Rajguru have made them more popular in recent years.
Tirumala
Tirupathi Devasthanams is also propagating the dasa krithis through the Dasa
Sahitya Project. He also composed the first lullaby songs in Carnatic music which
led to the creation of many similar songs by others.
Memorials and monuments
The
Purandara Mantapa adjoining the Vijayavittala temple at Hampi is one of the
longstanding monuments relating to Purandara Dasa. This is where he is said to
have composed and sung in praise of Lord Vishnu.
A
statue of Purandara Dasa has been erected at the foothills of Tirumala in
Alipiri. A statue of Purandara Dasa adorns the Asthana Mandapam (auditorium) on
the Tirumala hill.
Purandaradasa
Aradhana
Purandara Dasa's aradhana or punyadina is held on the pushya bahula Amavasya. Musicians and art aficionados in the state of Karnataka, South India and many art and religious centers around the world observe this occasion with religious and musical fervor. His compositions are sung by established and upcoming artists on this day.