Friday, October 9, 2009

Purandhara Daasar (1484 - 1564)



Purandara Daasar was a great composer of Carnatic music before the time of the Trinity of Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and Shyama Sastri. He was one of the most prominent composers of Carnatic music and is widely regarded as the "Father of Carnatic Music".


Purandara Daasar was born in 1484 in Pandarpur, an obscure village near Purandargarh near Poona, Karnataka . He was originally named Shreenivaasa (or Krishnappa) Naayaka. His father's name was Varada Naik. Purandara Daasa was considered an avatar of Sage Narada.

Purandara Daasar's Carnatic music compositions are mostly in Kannada; some are in Sanskrit. He was the one who standardized the early lessons in music and has given us many beautiful compositions on Vishnu and Krishna. His works include many different types of compositions, from bhajans and geetams to kritis. Purandara Daasar is believed to have systematized the early music lessons - sarali varisai, jantai varisai, geetams and also chose Maaya MaaLava GowLa as the raagam to be used for these.


Some of his compositions are
1. Aanalekara (Geetam) - Sudda Saveri

2. Amma Nimma Manegalalli - Sowraashtram

3. Aparaadi Naanalla - Revati

4. Bandadella Barali - Kaapi

5. Bhaagyada lakshmi baarammaa - Shree, Madyamaavati

6. Bhayasamaya (Geetam) - Desaakshi - PD

7. CandracooDa - Raagamaalika

8. DayamaaDo DayamaaDo - Kalyaani

9. Deva Banda - Shankaraabharanam

10. Devaki Nandana - Raagamaalika

11. Dharma shravanavetake - Durga

12. Dharmave jayavemba - Shenjurutti

13. Gajavadanaa beduve - Hamsadwani

14. Govindaa Ninna - Jana sammodhini

15. Hari naaraayana - Revati



P.S. Prj done by Prathiksha
Ref: Internet
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Courtesy: Rambling with Bellur blog
Thanks to RK and Vani

Sri Puradara Dasa is known as the Karnataka Sangeetha Pra-pithamaha (founder of Carnatic classical music). Purandara Dasa is believed to have been born in 1494 in Pandarapura in Karnataka. This was the golden age of Kannada literature too, under the most famous Vijayanagar emperor Sri Krishnadeva Raya. The influence of of Sri Purandara on Carnatic music and Kannada literature is immense. He virtually started the branch of literature which is now known as Dasa Sahithya. It was a blend of sublime poetry and music emphasising the virtues of good life over material wealth and religious ceremonies. Kanaka Dasa is another composer who was his contemorary and an important contributor to Dasa Sahithya.

There is a legend as to how he gave up a life of wealth to become an ascetic. He worked as a money lender and was infamous as a miser. Once, a Brahmin man wanted to perform the sacred thread ceremony (upanayana) for his son and came to Purandara Dasa’s wife for money. She gave him her nose-ring to sell for money, and the man went to Purandara Dasa himself to get the money. The miser lent the man his money, but his wife was worried about what to say to her husband, so she prayed to her favorite deity who gave her a nose-ring just like the one she had. When Purandara Dasa hurried home, anxious to know if the nose-ring was hers, he was bewildered seeing her wear the same one! She narrated the story, and he was converted, believing in the virtue of his wife and the virtue of a charitable life.
He renounced his riches and became disciple of Vyasa Raya who titled him “Purandara Vittala,” which became his signature. Then he is said to have composed 475,000 songs in both Kannada and Sanskrit.

He sang many rare ragas with the most beautiful lyrics. Thyagaraja’s praise in “Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam” is for him. He composed many devotional songs in Kannada known as Devaranama.

Purandara Dasa set the highest value on good conduct. The strength and greatness of Sri Hari’s name have been beautifully enshrined and sung in this world. People who do not know Sanskrit find it hard to understand the Vedas and Upanishads. But Purandara Dasa has explained the whole essence of these scriptures in simple Kannada and show the way that one should live.

He practiced in his life what he preached. It is important to note this aspect of his life. He gifted away all his wealth and lived the life of renunciation which he preached to others. Although he took to the life of renunciation and asceticism he did not desert his wife and children. He lived with them.

He made it clear to others by his conduct how it was possible to achieve purity of thought, word and deed regardless of caste, religion or creed. He did not believe that man could understand God by mere external purity unless it was accompanies by purity of mind.

Whatever Purandara Dasa says, the way he introduces it and explains it is very pleasant. His similes are very simple and telling. He compares wicked men to the knotted tree of thorns. He warns the non believers that life is being wasted at every stroke of the bell. When he saw a post man he sang ‘Kaagada bandide, namma Padumanabhanadu…” (a letter has arrived from Padmanabha.) He preached several moral precepts making use of familiar incidents like the postman delivering letters.

It was God’s gift that Purandara Dasa was able to preach, in simple Kannada, what is difficult even for philosophers to put across in a way which the ordinary people can understand. He left Ihaloka in 1564 at the age of 70. If you have learnt karnatic music, you will find that the initial lessons are all from Purnadara Daasa…. The Geethams, right from “Lambodara.. to Padumanaabha” are composed by this great saint. In fact, the way we begin training, singing the scale in Mayamalavagoula was initated by Purandara Daasa. So as such, his contribution, though not stark, is very substantial.
Some 40 devaranamas compositions..

1. Narayana Ninna

2. Bharathi Deviya

3. Jagadhoddharana

4. Tharakka Bindige

5. Mareteyeno Ranga

6. Jaganmohanane

7. Idu Bhagya

8. Aarige Vadhuvadhe

9. Venkatachalanilayam

10. Ambiga naa ninna

11. Pogadhirelo

12. Devaki nandamukunda

13. Gajavadana

14. Isa Beku

15. Kandu kandu nee enna

16. Hannu bandide

17. Madi madi madi endu

18. Gummana kareyadire

19. Pillangoviya

20. Mella mellane

21. Sharanu siddhi vinayaka

22. Amma nimma manegalalli

23. Nara janma bandaga

24. Karuniso ranga

25. Udara vairagya

26. Ragi thandirya

27. Neenyako ninna hangyako

28. Ramakrishnaru manege bandaru

29. Makkala manikya

30. Hanumana mathave

31. Nageyu baruthide

32. Krishnamurthy kanna mundhe

33. Allide nammane

34. Ranga baro

35. Sakala grahabala

36. Yarige yaruntu

37. Anjije inyathako

38. Sundaramooruthi

39. Nandatanaya govinda

40. Rama mantrava japiso
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