More about Shri Purandara Dasa

More about Purandara Dasa

The Foremost Haridasa

Introduction

Purandara Dasa is famous among the Haridasas of Karnataka; foremost among the talented Carnatic composers. He earned much money and lived only to earn it, but eventually gave away all his wealth because of a strange incident and became a devotee of Sri Hari. He practiced the principle contained in the popular saying "we must swim across suffering and win victory over it". He earned the well-deserved praise-‘Among the devotees of Hari, Purandara Dasa is the greatest’(from his preceptor Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha). His works have earned the name ‘Purandaropanishat’.

After Nayaka Became Saint

After Srinivasa Nayaka became the saint-singer celebrating Sri Hari, he sought a teacher for guidance and was received as a disciple by Sri Vyasaraja. Vyasaraja who had been accepted as a great saint, had composed verses both in Sanskrit and Kannada. He bestowed the name of ‘Purandara Vittala’ on the unattached Srinivasa Nayaka and blessed him heartily. Purandaradasa has expressed his gratitude to Sri Vyasaraja in one of his verses thus: "My only refuge is the feet of Vyasaraja. I was able to understand Purandara Vittala by his grace"

Srinivasa Nayaka who had earned the name of Navakoti Narayana, became a devotee of Narayana, the protector of the mankind and started a new life along with his wife and children. Purandara Dasa’s wife and children appear to have composed verses like him. In course of time Purandaradasa came to Hampi and settled down with his wife and children. He had four sons - Varadappa, Gururaya, Abhinavappa and Gurmadhvapathi. Every morning Purandaradasa went into the town wearing bells on his ankles and tulasi mala around his neck. He carried a tamboori in the hand and sang his Hari-keertanas sounding the tamboori with his fingers. The verses he sang were his own compositions. They were on a variety of themes. Some of them described Sri Krishna’s adventures in this world. Some others sang about God’s kindness to man. A few more verses were simple compositions expounding the philosophy contained in the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita in simple words.

In yet other verses Purandaradasa praises Lord Krishna affectionately. In some verses Purandaradasa has even made fun of the Lord. He sang these songs to the accompaniment of tamboori and the bells tied to his ankles and went about the streets of the town. The people admired and listened to his songs. Purandaradasa accepted alms given to him during the wandering and led a life of renunciation. He who had been called Navakoti Narayana now had willingly accepted the life of a saint and begged for his food.

In Praise of the Devotees

It is interesting to note how Srinivasa Nayaka, having changed his life influenced by his wife’s role and having been accepted by Sri Vyasaraja as disciple naming ‘Purandara Vittala’, earned the blessings of Sri Hari. In his verses (keertanas) he praises all the devotees of Sri Hari who had earned the blessings of the Lord and supplicates before Sri Hari. He praises the good fortune of Lakshmi, the consort of Sri Hari, who had the rare fortune of serving the Lord with love at all times. He sings "How fortunate is Lakshmi, how pious is Lakshmi who serves Sri Hari with love at all times!"... Yashoda treated the protector of the world as her child and played with him and enjoyed every moment she spent with the child Krishna. Purandaradasa envies her and sings

"It is the good fortune of the Gopi that Sripati is in the form of a child". Thinking of Vidura who satisfied his friend and Lord of the World with just one cup of milk, he praises him for his good luck and sings as follows. "it is the good fortune of Vidura that the universe in the for Padmajaanda (Lord Krishna) is fully satisfied with what Vidura has offered".

Even though Purandaradasa had taken the vow of Haridasa, his mind had not yet acquired equipoise (peace/restfulness). He feels unhappy over the state of his mind which was still unable to reach a stage of complete restfulness. He bemoans in a verse: "I did not think of you during the day, I failed to do so during the night also because of thirst and hunger. I am the victim of these two desires. O Purandara Vittala."

Again he gives expression to the conflict in his mind about his inability to give up his house, wife and children in a verse: "the love of my house and my wife on the one hand and the longing and anxiety for the children on the other hand..". The all-too-human weakness and conflict are beautifully depicted in this verse. The sole object of Purandaradasa was to be victorious over these desires and to win God’s blessings. This problem was constantly before him. Sometimes he dreamt that Sri Hari appeared before him because of his constant preoccupation with the Lord. At times he appeared to him (at a mental level) the screen of his mind. The Lord seemed to test the depth of his longing and his sincerity. Purandaradasa seems to have been disturbed and upset because of the severe test to which he was subjected. Hence he complains in a bantering verse "who was ever rescued by you, Sri Hari having placed complete trust on you!" The next moment there is complete surrender to the Lord as the verse indicates "No one who trusted you was ever ruined." This is the comfort he derived at the end of the conflict in his mind.