You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Haridasa’ tag.
Today is the last day of the lunar month of Pushya. The day Purandara dasa passes away in the year 1564AD.
ತೆರಳಿದರು ಹರಿಪುರಕಿಂದು || ಪಲ್ಲವಿ ||
ಪುರಂದರದಾಸರಾಯರು ದೀನಬಂಧು || ಅನುಪಲ್ಲವಿ ||
ರಕ್ತಾಕ್ಷಿವತ್ಸರ ಪುಷ್ಯಾಂತ ರವಿವಾರ
ಮುಕ್ತಿಗೈದಿದರು ಕೇಳಿ ಬುಧಜನರು || ೧ ||
ವಿರೂಪಾಕ್ಷ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಿ ವಿಠಲನ್ನ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಶರೀರವನಿರಿಸಿ ಅನಾಥರನು ಹರಸಿ || ೨ ||
In this song by Madhwapa Dasa, son of Purandara Dasa records the date as “The last day of Pushya which was a Sunday, in the year Raktakshi at Virupaksha kshetra, in the abode of Vithala’.
Contrary to what is popularly being parroted over decades, Purandara Dasa did not hail from Purandaragada in current day Maharashtra. Inscriptional evidence points that he is likely to have come from the region of Tirthahalli/ Gerusoppa in Shivamogga district of current day Karnataka. High time we correct some of the facts we pass to the next generation, I’d say!
Here is an alternate-history fiction I wrote on some events of Purandara Dasa’s, life setting it in this geographical region (in Kannada ). Here is the English translation of the same short story.
Here are links to a bunch of my old posts in English, about Purandara Dasa.
Govinda Smarane and Blog Hits!
Dasarendare Purandara Dasarayya!
Purandara Dasa’s 32 Ragas
Here are some links to some of my posts from my Kannada blog
ಹೆಂಡ್ತೀರ್ ಮಾತು ಗಂಡಂದ್ರು ಯಾಕೆ ಕೇಳ್ತಾರೆ?
ತುತ್ತುರು ತೂರೆಂದು ಬತ್ತಿಸ ರಾಗಗಳನ್ನು..
What is better than listening to or sing some songs of Purandara Dasa on this day of remembrance? That’s what I’ll do and hope you get a chance to do too!
-neelanjana
If at all we know one thing certainly about Purandara Dasa, it is the day of his passing away. His son Madhwapa Dasa records in one of his compositions that Purandara Dasa passed away on Pushya Amavasye of Raktakshi Samvatsara , which corresponds to the year 1564 CE.
This year Pushya amavasye falls on January 15th 2010 – This is definitely a day to remember the contribution of not only Purandara Dasa, but many other saints who followed the hari dasa tradition, and contributed both Kannada literature and enriched Karnataka sangeetha.
Click on the link to listen to an audio recording of a speech I gave a few years ago here in the bay area – “A Bird’s Eye View on Dasa Sahitya” :
The speech is in Kannada, and includes analysis on the literary and musical aspects of compositions of Hari Dasas.
-neelanjana
No, my sense of time is not warped. Or at least, not yet. I know it is April, and realize Thanksgiving is not until November.But I wanted to thank two people specially, among my online friends today. Hence the title!
Sri Shreekant Mishrikoti, tells me that all the compositions (more than 1200) of Purandara dasa we had in our database are online as of today on Haridasa Sampada. Yippee! It’s been my dream of several years to have all the available compositions of Purandara Dasa online. I had some work on it on Rasikas wiki earlier too. But as all big dreams go, it is not enough just to dream, and it needs the participation of a community to make such dreams a reality. So, even as I thank everyone who has contributed their bit to Haridasa Sampada, my special thanks to to Shreekant Mishrikoti, who has been the most prolific contributor to this project.
Purandara Dasa
This work would not have been completed in such a short span of time if we did not have an e-text to start with. Even though we typed in a number of compositions afresh, a large number of the 1200+ compositions came in from the e-text provided by Sri Lakshman Ragde of Toronto. We had to go through each composition, and fix the typos etc, but having something to start on was indeed great.
All dasa sAhitya lovers are indebted to Sri Lakshman. What else can I say? Lakshmanam namaami rasikapriyam, once again!
Right now, Haridasa Sampada is a all-kannada site. But hold on! We have plans of making it easy to those who can not read kannaDa to be able to search the composition database on Haridasa Sampada, and render the text in their favorite script – roman or other scripts that supports unicode :). I will surely provide details as and when new features are available.
Our aim is to make Haridasa Sampada a very comprehensive site about Haridasa Literature.After completing the work on Purandara Dasa, we will move on to other haridAsas.
Please help spread the word about Haridasa Sampada.
-neelanjana
This is the translation of a Kannada story I wrote a while ago. This takes the folklore of the story of Purandara Dasa, and tries to give it an alternate-history feel. I have posted footnotes, and a map of places that appear in the story to make it a little easier for those who may not know the geography of Karnataka very well.
In Kannada, the story was titled “Tamboori Meetidava, Bhavaabdi Daatidava..” , and was published in the sovenir published at the AKKA-2008 Kannada Sammelana held in Chicago, IL.
I have translated it primarily for all music lovers and my good friends on http://www.rasikas.org/, who can’t read Kannada.
Your comments and/or opinions are welcome.
Although I intended to post it by the time of Aradhane 2009, it was not to be. But I am glad to post it within a few days after Pushya Amavasye.
****************************************************************
****************************************************************
It was almost noon by the time Saraswati finished her daily pooje. She noticed she was singing aloud when she was doing the mangalaarati. When her husband was home, she would only mumble the song to herself. In reality, she was quite a good singer, but wasn’t confidant to sing in front of him because he was so well versed in music. He might say a thing or two about her sangatis. Or he might even bring the tamboori, and show how to sing those sangatis to make them sound better. That’s why the walls her home heard Saraswati’s singing voice only when Srinivasa was away. She often wondered if he would have dedicate himself to music, if not for the family business he had to run. Saraswati just thought how nice it would have been to listen to his singing all day. It was several months since he had touched his tamboori. His emotional and overpowering singing would have made her feel Lord Krishna’s brindavana was right here at Kshemapura. The only other person she knew who had a comparable voice was that of Vaikuntha Dasa of her hometown.
Saraswati felt very strange at the thought of considering Belooru as her hometown even after being married for twenty years and living in Kshemapura! It reminded her that she had not visited her parents for couple of years already. She remembered how worried she was when there was a talk of her marriage, and especially when she knew the suitor was from the hilly, rainy country. Her hometown was a real beauty. Such a peaceful and tranquil town with the three hundred year old Chennakeshava temple as the anchor for all activities. What to do? Once a girl gets married, she has to think her husband’s home as her own. She was indeed very happy when she arrived in Kshemapura for first time. It was so green out here! But when the rains arrived she was terrified at the force of the torrential rains that did not stop for four or five months. Now she preferred the rainy season since she heard more of her husband’s singing, because he stayed home for longer hours during the rainy months. As she went into the kitchen, Saraswati started counting how many more months until aashadha and the beginning of rains.
*******
Srinivasa looked at the pendant Nagachari gave. Yes, it looked good. May be few less emeralds would have made it look even better. He started to sketch the pattern for the necklace to match this pendant. Then noticing that Nagachari was still waiting, Srinivasa reminded him that the work should be finished soon because it had to get to the palace before the festival. As Srinivasa was completing his sketch, he thought of the long hours he was spending at his store these days. Hebana was almost eighteen. It was time for him to take more responsibility in the business, Srinivasa thought. May be then he would have some time to pursue his first love, music.
Srinivasa’s father had trained him to be a jeweler right from the days he was a young lad. But among Srinivasa’s children, only little Madhvapati shows interest in coming with him. Madhwa often watched has father doing his designs, and also attempted to sketch some on his own. The older two boys did not show much interest at all! May be it was time for Srinivasa to make sure they come at least few times a months or else it might spell problems! But as Srinivasa recollected that he did not help his father regularly as a young boy, he thought all was not lost with Hebana and Abhinava yet.
In fact, Srinivasa’s father was quite lenient. He even had told his wife not to distract Srinivasa with household errands if he was practicing music, or studying all those works of music and poetry. But Srinivasa still remembered what he had told one day : “Seenappa, I have seen the plight of musicians who depend on the kings and landlords. Thankfully, you have a business to carry on. Practice music as much as you want, but do not leave our family business. Keep your music to please yourself” Srinivasa had indeed followed his advice to the word. With riches that allow him to lend money to kings and chieftains, why should he leave the gold and gem business and stand at the doorsteps of the king? ‘Now, I am the king of my business or my music’, Srinivasa thought but when he remembered that it was amost three weeks since he touched his tamboori, it was not so pleasing a thought. As he was sensing the unpleasantness of this, Madhwapati came in from the inner room to show a pattern he had sketched for an ear ring, and helped Srinivasa’s mind to dwell on something else.
*****
It was the time for Abhinava’s music practice. Father was very strict with him about music. Whether he taught any new lesson or not, the kids had to do their practice like a ritual. They had to practice all the varases daily in three speeds. Of the three brothers, Abhinava had the best voice. Although Srinivasa never explicitly said anything, Abhinava knew that his father gave some extra attention to his lessons.
Abhinava suddenly remembered the comment Venkatesha, his friend from across the street had made sometime ago. “Your dad seems to have a lesson plan no other music teacher in this world has! I wonder how you would even manage to sing with a teacher like him !” — he had rediculed in front of all his friends when they were playing. Abhinava felt angry, as well as humiliated.
Next day he had gathered courage to ask his father: “Appa, Is it true that you are teaching us in a way that no other music teacher follows? Other kids make fun of me for that”
Abhinava remembered that Srinivasa did not even blink at this remark, let alone get angry. He had told calmly: “Yes. No other teacher teaches in the method I am teaching you and your brothers. You know what? I made these exercises myself so that it helps in making you musically aware much faster than you other wise would be. Why should you worry? I am sure that this system works well, and that is why I teach this way. Stop worrying, and sing Sri Gananaatha”
Saraswati was sure that Abhinava’s mind was wandering somewhere else. She softly patted his back, and asked him if he forgot what to sing next. Abhinava came back from his thoughts and started to sing the prabhandha in devagaandhara raga that his father had taught a few weeks earlier.
****
It was getting dark. Srinivasa called out Madhwapati to get a lamp from the back room. But when he did not come in for a few minutes, Srinivasa had to get up from his seat, and see where the lad was. To his surprise, little Madhwapati was not inside. As he walked to the main door, Srinivasa caught Madhwa speak with someone outside. Few days before someone from the Nayaka’s house had asked Srinivasa to make some new jewellery to the deity at Kollooru. May be someone from the palace had come. Srinivasa rushed outside to see who it was.
“No Sir, Today appa is busy. Come tomorrow, he might be making a small donation” Srinivasa heard Madhwa say to the stranger. Wow, he is the right person to run a business. “A grandson, fit for a grandfather like my father” thought Srinivasa. “Follows him to the core!”
Srinivasa recollected his father’s advice when he was breathing his last. Little Madhwa was also besides Srinivasa that day. Father had given some thorough advice.
“Sheenappa, you never took the trouble of what was happening with our business all these days. But, now I am counting my days. You will have to take care of the business. Never spend a single varaha more than you need to. Never forget that one varaha saved is more than a varaha earned. Don’t spend money unnecessarily on God and Godly men! Haven’t you heard of the saying “Work is worship”? If you do your duty faithfully, the Almighty will be more pleased than you taking trips to temples on a pilgrimage”.
“Father, What’s wrong if we can afford to ..” Srinivasa’s speech was curtly stopped by his father.
“Who do you think will take care of you and your family when you are in trouble? You were very young and so do not remember the hardship I was in when I tried to be helpful to others, and lost lots of our wealth. Anyway I did recover out of that situation with great efforts and hard work. I don’t want you to undergo what I went through. And more importantly, I don’t want my grandchildren come to streets because of your mistake. Stay away from so called the path of charity, and stay true to this word”.
Srinivasa had no option than to consent. Father had continued on, in spite of his failing voice.
“Look here Sheenappa. You know the subhAshit that goes like- अन्नंदानम् परम् दानम् विद्यादानमतः परम् ॥ अन्नेन क्षणिका तृप्तिः यावज्जीवन्च विद्यया ॥ Instead of giving one varaha as alms to someone needy, if you can teach them how to earn one varaha, that will stay through his life. If you give a varaha, it will be there only till it is spent. You could help needy ones by teaching what you know — be it your music or the art of making jewelry. If they can use it to earn their living, that is great. If not, do not worry. You aren’t the Lord Brahma to change their fate”
Madhwa was speaking outside:
“No sir. Be it a upanayana or a wedding, my father would exactly say what I am telling you now. Why do you waste your time as well as mine? You can come another day.”
By the time Srinivasa entered the veranda, the old man had left.
But Srinivasa understood that the old man was not one to leave so easily. Next morning, he was there by the time Srinivasa opened his store. Upon seeing Srinivasa, he asked — ” Oh Sir, I am performing upanayana to my grandson. Please help me”. Srinivasa brushed him off saying it was the beginning of the day, and asked him to wait for some time. It was a busy day for Srinivasa. Some officers from Keladi palace had come with their orders. At night, when Srinivasa was closing his store, he saw the old man waiting in the street corner — but he conveniently ignored him and rushed home. These events repeated a couple of times and Srinivasa heard Madwapati sending him away a couple of times as well too, in the next fortnight.
It was the night of the full moon. Srinivasa had locked up all his chests and was ready to leave when this old man entered with folded hands. Just then Srinivasa saw a varaha under the pillow he was sitting, and tossed it to the man’s hands. As the varaha fell into the old man’s palm, Srinivasa noticed the varaha had corroded. But he did not have the patience to open up the locks and give another good coin. Perhaps the old man’s vision was poor, because he did not seem to notice the flaw in the coin and he walked away thanking Srinivasa.
******
It was early afternoon. Saraswati finished all her chores. Hebana and Abhinava were away, to attend a wedding at a relative’s. Saraswati was quite tired and sat on the swing in the inner hall, when she heard someone at the front door. She went out to see who it was. There was a old man, whom she had not seen before at the door.
“Can I come in, Saraswatamma?”
She wondered how he knew her name. With his long nose, and the white turban, she thought he resembled her father.
“Please come in” — she said.
He came in, and asked “Saraswatamma, I am originally from your Belooru country. I want to perform upanayana to my grandson at right time, and send him to Sringeri for studies. Could you please help this old man”?
Saraswati never dealt with money anytime. Everything was managed by her husband. “What do I have? Whnt can a woman give?” She was feeling very sorry for her own plight. Knowing what her husband was, she knew there was no hope of convincing him to give something to this old man, too.
“If you have something that has come down from your parents’ could you please give me? I am an old man, and can’t really go and ask a lot of people”
Saraswati thought about the ornaments she had. Although their family trade was making jewelry, all she wore was the mangalya, her nose ring and the ear rings. Everything else was in the chest, safely locked by her husband.
Not getting a reply from Saraswati, the old man repeated his plea:
“If you have some ornaments, or some money your parents gave you, please help me with whatever you can”. Just then, she remembered she had another nose ring which was at the pooja room. She took off the pearl nose ring she was wearing, and fell at his feet.
“Sir, Please take this. You remind me of my father. My mother gave this nose ring. Take this and bless me”
Blessing her with his “Deergha sumangalee bhava” , the old man went away with the nose ring. After that, Saraswati was left in a dilemma whether she did the right thing or not. “I’ll wear the other nose ring. Hopefully, he would not notice” she said to herself. Just then the neighbor, Lakshmi, came in. Poor girl. Young and newly married. No one to help her here. ” Saraswatamma, you said you’d teach me how to make huDigaDubu the othernday, so I thought of dropping in” she said. Saraswati took her into the kitchen.
****
Madhwapati was seated in the inner hall sketching a new design for a piece of jewelry. He had a very artistic hand. He always dreamed of making very fanciful jewelry, better than his father or grandfather did. As he was sketching his mind was also following what his father was telling the customers as they came in. “Your necklace would be ready in three days” — Madhwa could not see his father’s face, but he peeped out to see who the customer was. It was Ganapati Hegade from Ikkeri. “Well, we haven’t even started making a sketch for the necklace!” Madwa thought. He knew that being in this business, one has to tell some white lies anyway. Father must be sure that Ganapati Hegade would not come again in three days- That’s why he must have told so. Madhwapati saw Ganapati Hegade go out from the front door, as the same old man enter! “Hey, I had sent this man away several times already! I should say he has a very high perseverance!” he thought. Since his father was around, Madhwa didn’t worry dealing with the old man now.
Madhwa heard the old man say: “Sir, I have this piece of jewelry. Could you please take this and give me whatever it worth?”.
“Just be here for about half hour. I shall be back soon, and pay you for the nose ring” — Madhwa heard his father say. He thought his father would come in and ask him to take care of the store till he was back. But before he realized, Srinivasa had locked the front door and gone!
Madhwapati realized his father did not even know he was here in the back of the store — because Madha had entered the store from the back door, courtesy Nagachari! Now Madhwa was very curious to see this nose ring. Would it be so valuable that father does not have enough cash, and has to get money from home?”. He had heard about the nose ring of devi in a temple in the south, where it was so bright that it lit up the garbhagudi? He could not contain his curiosity and went to the front of the store. The key to the draws were under the pillows, as usual. He opened the chest, and saw the pearl ear ring, right in the top drawer. It was nothing special, Madhwa thought. One bigger pearl, and three smaller pearls hanging down from there. He took a lens and examined it too. The pearls were of good quality, but nothing extra-ordinary. Then what made father to go out? And as he was looking at the nose ring, Madhwa started feeling that the jewel was very familiar. He held it his hand again. Yes. He knew where it came from.
****
After showing Lakshmi the recipe for huDigaDubu, Saraswati went to the front door to send her off, and was quite surprised to see her husband come home at this time! Also, his face bore a strange expression. As Saraswati got some water for him to wash, he asked pointedly.
“What happened to your pearl nose ring?”
Saraswati was shocked. She had totally forgotten to wear the other nose ring, since Lakshmi devi had come as soon as the old man had left. She gathered hear words to say -“I had taken it off when I was taking an oil bath — to save it from gathering oil, and forgot to wear it later”. But hear heart was thumping as the words came out of her mouth.
“Is that right? Fine. Why don’t you go and wear it now?”
Saraswati felt she had become a prisoner of her own words. But what to do? Words once uttered, can’t be taken back. She went in to the inner hallway, and sat in front of the Gods she worshiped everyday.
Her husband was there outside, on the porch, waiting for her to return.
In that very moment, all the twenty and more years of her married life zoomed past her. A loving husband, albeit a bit strict with money matters. Should she confess what she did?
Her mind went on a swing ride.
She took a jasmine flower from the tray that lay there, and placed it on the statue of Vithala she worshiped everyday. She was now ready to face the outcome. If the flower fell on the right she would go and confess everything. If it fell on the left, she would keep her honor. But the price for that would be her life.
She was determined. She made three pradakshinas and opened her eyes.
The jasmine flower had fallen on the left side.
She knew what her Lord Vithala had chosen for her.
*****
Little Madhwa was running fast. As fast as he could.
It took about twenty minutes to reach home if he walked. But there was no time to lose.
What would happen if father went home and scolded mother? What if amma cried? He did not like that a bit. He remembered the chaos that had followed once amma had given a sack of paddy to some one in the villafe. He wanted to go home quickly, and give this off to his mother, without being seen by his father.
Even Madhwa did not like giving away stuff. But he did not want to see his mother in sorrow.
When he was near home, he saw his father sitting on the porch. So he went around the house to the window near the kitchen. He called out softly — “amma, amma”. The window was a little too high for him to climb.
Finally, he made it by holding on to the metal railings, and looked in.
Amma was doing her pooje. Madhwa thought. She had a cup in her hand. What was in there?
Just then he heard his father calling from outside — “Saraswati, How long does it take to wear a nose ring?”
Madhwa was scared. Dead scared. He knew something was definitely going wrong. He threw the small box he was clasping in his small hands towards his mother. But then, he lost his balance, and fell down on the ground.
*****
Saraswati could not believe her own eyes. As she was about to drink the poison in the cup, a small box fell on her. And to see her nose ring in that she was greatly surprised. She wore that and went out, and could not help notice the look of astonishment in his eyes! So wonder stuck she was, that the cup was still in her hands.
Srinivasa was a jeweler. How could he not notice that one of the diamonds in her ear rings was missing? He knew at once what was there in the cup. He threw the contents out and ran to his store.
The front door was locked. The old man was nowhere to be seen. The nose ring was gone.
His mind was in a frenzy. He knew his wife had chosen death, not being able to face him, because she gave away her nose ring without his permission. Would she come back to life, even if he poured all his wealth?
His mind was made up. He locked to door and left.
*****
The whole town was surprised to hear Srinivasa Nayaka, famed as Navakoti Narayana was giving away all his wealth and becoming a haridasa.
After returning from home from the store, he had told his wife all that happened with the old man. He told her: “He must have been a great man indeed. I was definitely in the wrong. I might have lost you and become an orphan. Now let’s go to Vijaya Nagara. I will find a teacher there. I will continue where I had left of. Instead of composing songs, and teaching kids, I will sing those songs for the Almighty, asking for alms in the streets. Enough of Kshemapura. Today is the last day in Srinivasa Nayaka’s life. Are you ready to come with me?”
Saraswati was very surprised at what had ensued. She remembered Vaikuntha Dasa, and the sweetness of his songs in streets of Belooru! Now, her dear husband is also thinking of following those footsteps.
Saraswati got his tamboori, and gave it to Srinivasa.
When the crowds were lining up outside to take in whatever Srinivasa was giving away, Madhwa told his mother all that had happned.
She said : “Krishnarpanamastu”
Who was that old man? Even if it was Madhwa who got the nose ring, who gave that idea to him? It was none other than the Chenniga of Belooru, Vitthala of Purandara. Wasn’t he? Who knew?
Saraswati’s mind told her: “All that happened, has happened for the good. The wealth indeed became the way to being in the service of Vitthala”***
She told Madhwa- “All that happened has happened as per the wish of Vitthala. He will do as he pleases. Go and tell everything to his father”.
When Madhwa narrated what happened, all Srinivasa said was “Krishnarpanamastu”. His mind had chosen it’s goal.
The next morning, their house was empty. Srinivasa’s family was walking on the road to Vijaya Nagara.
Srinivasa had his tALa, and tamboori in his hand and his pleasant singing was heard by others taking the same road.
“He who strums the tamboori,
Is the one who crosses the ocean of life,
One who keeps the tALa,
Is the one who becomes one with the Gods.
He who sings
Is the one who could see Vithala,
Is the one who would reach Vaikuntha”@@@
Yes. They were walking towards their destination.
Their final destination.
*******************************************************************************************************
================================================================================
Footnotes:
Folklore tells that Srinivasa Nayaka was the name of Purandara Dasa before he became a Haridasa, and that he was a jeweler by profession. His wife’s name is traditionally given as Saraswati. There are couple of records (from Vijayanagara times) that give the names of three of Purandara Dasa’s sons – Hebana (called Lakshma in another record) , Madhwapati and Abhinava. Each of these sons have also composed, with their own signatures. Scholars like R Satyanarayana believe that the Pillari geete – paduma naabha paramapurusha – traditionally thought to be Purandara Dasa’s is a composition of his son Abhinava Purandara Dasa.
The story of Srinivasa Nayaka becoming Purandara Dasa is very well known. But I would like to make it clear the variations in the details, as they appear in this story, are from my imagination. I have tried to place the family in the sorroudings of Kshemapura.
This is the translation of a story I wrote last year in Kannada. There is a little twist in the end in this translated version. Thanks to a friend who suggested this change.
Kshemapura (or Purandarapura): Scholars have identified this place mentioned in ancient records to be the same as (or very near ) Gerusoppa, in current day Shivamogga district in Karnataka – close to the famed Jog falls. This was a busy trading post during those times due because it was on the route between Vijaya Nagara and the ports on Karnataka’s west coast.
Ikkeri: One of the capitals of the Nayakas (chieftains) of Keladi-Bidanooru. Now this is a village near to Sagara town in current day Shivamogga district
Bidanooru : Another capital of the Nayakas who ruled this area in the 15-16-17 th centuries. Located near Hosanagara, in current day Shivamogga district.
Belooru : An ancient town in current day Hassan district. This place was also called Velaapuri. Hoysala kings have built an extremely beautiful temple of Channakeshava here (1117 AD)
Kollooru: A temple town in the Udupi district of Karnataka. Famous for the deity – Mookambike.
Sringeri : A temple town in the ChikkamagaLooru district of Karnataka. Shankaracarya established one of his four
mathas here in the 9th century. This has been a center of learning since then.
Vidyaranya, the pontiff of Shringeri in mid 14th century was the key man who stood behind Harihara and Bukka to establish the Vijaya Nagara empire
Vijaya Nagara : Current day Hampe, in Hosapete district of Karnataka, was the capital of the Vijaya Nagara empire.
varaha : a coin, a denomination of money, in ancient and medieval India
Kanyakumari: Referred to as ‘the place in the South, famed for a diamond nose ring of the deity’
Vaikunta Dasa: One of the Dasas in Haridasa Parampare. He is said to have lived in Belooru.
*** -> approximately the translation of the pallavi of a pada of Purandara Dasa – “Adaddella oLitE Ayitu, namma Sridharana sEvege sAdhana sampattAyitu”
Location map of places that are mentioned in the story :
A map of places mentioned in the story
25th January, 2009 is Purandara Dasa Aradhane. I am posting here an article that I wrote for the February 2009 issue of ‘Guru Sarvabhouma’, a monthly publication by Sri Guru Raghavendra Matha, Mantralaya. Kannada compostions are written in devanagari script, for those readers who can’t read Kannada
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
इन्दिन दिनवे शुभदिनवु
इन्दिन वार शुभवार
इन्दिन तारॆ शुभतारॆ
इन्दिन योग शुब्गयोग
इन्दिन करण शुभकरण
इन्दु पुरन्दरविट्ठल रायन
सन्दर्शन फलवेमगायितु!
In the above kannada ugaabhoga (written in dEvanagari for those who can’t read kannada script) , Purandara Dasa says “Each and every day is a good day. One does not have to worry about the tithi, vaara, nakshatra, yoga or karana at all; because when one thinks of Hari, the day turns out to be a good day after all”. Similarly any day is indeed a good day to remember great souls such as Purandara Dasa. However it is customary to pay homage to such great people on special occassions such as the day they were born or the day they passed away. Such days give us a chance to read about, talk about, and understand their good deeds. This helps us to practice the principles and values which such noble people stood for, and thereby turning us towards the right path for life. So I think it is very apt to highlight some aspects of Purandara Dasa’s works at this time of Purandara Dasa’s aradhane.
He is considered as one of the four pillars on which the entire edifice of haridasa literature stands, along with Sripadaraya, Vyasaraya and Vijaya dasa. A very popular shloka venerates these four haridasas as follows:
नमः श्रीपादराजाय नमस्ते व्यासयोगिणे ।
नमः पुरन्दरार्याय विजयार्याय ते नमः ॥
(I bow to thee, Sripadararaya and to the yogi vyAsa. I bow to the noble Purandara and Vijaya)
Purandara dasa is remembered as the noblest of all hari dasas. पुरन्दरगुरुं वन्दे दासश्रेष्ठम् दयानिधिम् – ” I bow to the great teacher Purandara, who is the best among the dasas, and an abode of compassion” so goes the saying. He is considered as the best among all the haridasas, so much so that his own guru says “If there one is a dasa, he should be like Purandara dasa” -‘ दासरॆन्दरे पुरन्दर दासरय्य ‘ “ದಾಸರೆಂದರೆ ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸರಯ್ಯ”. There are not many pupils in this world who have been praised thus by their own teachers.
(A Sculpture of Purandara Dasa, possibly from Hampe. This is a photograph of a photograph)
Purandara dasa is also called as the ‘pitaamaha’ of Karnataka sangeeta as it is practiced today. Purandara has had a varied role – a devotee, a haridasa (servant of God), a poet, a musician, a social reformer, a saint and a traveler who traveled all over south India. However, as it happens to many important men and women in Indian history, the details of his life that are available are rather scant and sketchy. We do not exactly know the day he was born or the the place he was born or the day he was initiated to the haridasa fold. But, if we know one thing certianly, it is the day of his passing away.
Purandara dasa left this world on the Pushya amavasye in the Raktakshi samvatsara (This corresponds to the year 1564 AD). We get this information from a composition attributed to Purandara dasa’s son Madhwapa dasa. Here is what he says:
तॆरळिदरु हरिपुरकिंदु ॥ पल्लवि ॥
पुरंदरदासरायरु दीनबंधु ॥ अनुपल्लवि ॥
रक्ताक्षिवत्सर पुष्यांत रविवार
मुक्तिगैदिदरु केळि बुधजनरु ॥ १ ॥
विरूपाक्ष क्षेत्रदि विठलन्न सन्निधियल्लि
शरीरवनिरिसि अनाथरनु हरसि ॥ २ ॥
The pallavi and anupallavi lines in this song say that it was composed right on the day of Purandara Dasa passed away. The first charana clearly states that it was on amavasye, Pushya mAsa, Sunday. when Purandara dasa passed away. The second charana mentions Viroopaksha Kshetra (Hampe) and the line ‘in the sannidhi of vithala’, indicate that Purandara passed away somewhere in the viscinity of the Vijaya Vitthala temple in Hampe, very likely at the mantapa called as Purandara Mantapa nowadays.
Why does this song become important to us? This shows us how a song can be used to get historical information. Even if we do not know lots of things about Purandara’s life, we can still understand the principles he stood for. Whether or not one believes in miraculous incidents that are supposed to have taken place or not, the works of Purandara dasa are a great resource to guide us. In fact, Purandara dasa’s greatness lies not in the miracles that are associated with him, but in his works. Although Purandara dasa is said to have composed hundreds of thousands of songs, only a small fraction of that has been handed over to us through tradition. Luckily, within the available compositions there is plenty of information to understand the life and times of the period when Purandara dasa lived. Haridasa poetry is more like a mirror to the society. They show the positive attributes, as well as the shortcomings of their times. Many of these aspects are relevant even today, as they were several centuries ago.
Vijayadasa, who was instrumental in collecting Purandara dasa’s songs in the 18th century mentions that Purandara dasa was a merchant before he became a haridasa. Purandara dasa himself refers to trade and business in some of his songs. There might be an element of autobiographical content in such songs.
In one composition Purandara dasas says:
व्यापार नमगायितु
श्रीपतिय पादारविंद सेवॆयॆंबो ।
हरिकरुणवॆ अंगि गुरुकरुणवॆ मुंडासु
हरिदासर दयवॆंबो वल्लि
परमपापि कलियॆंबो पापोसु मॆट्टि
दुरात्मरादवर ऎदॆमेलॆ नडॆवंथ ॥ व्यापार नमगायितु॥
बिळियकागद हृदय बायि कलमदानि
नालिगॆयॆंबोदे लेखनियु
लोलन कथॆ नामंगळ
शीलमनवि बरॆदु हरिगॆ ऒप्पिसुवंथ ॥ व्यापार नमगायितु॥
Purandara says here: “It is a fortune to be in the trade of serving the lotus feet of the Lord of Lakshmi. Wearing the Hari’s mercy as a coat, and the kindness of guru as my turban, the sympathy of other haridasas as a shoulder cloth, and wearing shoes that are none other than Kali himself, and then walking over the chest of evil men, is indeed a very good trade. Writing stories containing the names of Hari, in a paper that is none other than the heart, using the tongue as a pen, using the mouth as the ink pot is indeed a wonderful trade”. Here on one side, Purandara dasa describes the dress worn by a trader, and says that it is his ‘business’ as a haridasa is to tread the evil deeds and the evil in this world. The mention of the word ‘vyaapara’ – trade – rather than any other occupation might support the beleif that Purandara was a merchant before he became a haridasa.
Similarly, we can cite another ugabhoga where he says:
ऎन्न कडॆहायिसिरुवुदु निन्न भार
निन्न नंबि बदुकुवुदु ऎन्न व्यापार
It is your responsibility to take me to the other side
It is my business to have faith in you!
Such was the outlook and philosophy of complete surrender to Hari that Purandara dasa, a great saint of all times had. Let us try to keep in mind his message at this time of Purandara dasa aradhane.
-neelanjana
ಅಲ್ಲಿದೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆ 
ಇತ್ತೀಚಿನ ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿಗಳು