Purandara Daasa Part 2

The royal visit

Krishnadevaraya, the emperor of Vijayanagara, intrigued by the sudden transformation of “Navakoti Naarayana” to an alms seeking “daasa”, went to Vyaasa Tirtha’s matha to meet Purandara Daasa.

He was fascinated by the Daasa’s account of all that had transpired, and was overwhelmed by the detachment (vairagya) of Purandara Daasa who then composed a song, comparing the fortunes of the emperor and himself (Daasas).

Nimmabhaagyadoddado, nammabhaagyadoddado… Is your fortune greater or ours? He says let’s compare them…

He lists all the material wealth that the emperor possesses and also describes the diminishing nature, fear of loss/theft of such fortune, and then describes the wealth of Hari-daasas, as Tulasimaale, alms collecting bag, Hari-naama etc.

With an interesting play of words, he concludes the song saying,
“Nimma Bhagya Lakshmidevi, nammabhagya Naarayananu,
Nammanimma bhagyadodeya (bhagyadodeya) Purandara Vittala nu!”

You have been graced by Lakshmi devi (with material wealth), but we are blessed by Naarayana (with spiritual wealth). However, the one who decides both our fortunes is Purandara Vittala!

Please listen to this wonderful composition sung by Shri Vidyabhushanaru

The teacher and the disciple

Vyaasa Tirtha was by nature extremely pleasant tempered and courteous. But his demeanour with Purandara Daasa was not only respectful but hinted of something more. While the song, Daasarendare Purandara Daasarayya, is well known, Vyaasa Tirtha is said to have composed another in praise of his disciple,

“Kangalige habbavayithayya Mangalathmaka Purandara Daasarakandu…”

This piqued the curiosity of another disciple, Govinda Bhikshu, who wondered why the guru was praising the shishya? Vyaasa Tirtha is believed to have said, He is my shishya, in name only, in this birth… but I was his shishya and he my guru (swaroopodharaka) in my previous birth!

Vyaasa Tirtha, as one may recall, was Prahallada in one of his his previous births. And Narada, the divine sage, had been his spiritual preceptor and guru, from the time Prahallada was in his mother’s womb.

Profoundity, Pun, Pith

While Purandara Daasa’s songs can be easily understood in the literal sense, scholars elaborate on profound meanings of seemingly simple phrases. For instance, in the very popular, Bhagyaada Lakshmi baramma… Purandara Daasa implores Lakshmi, “hejjeyemelehejjeyanikkutha…”

While the literal meaning appears to be appealing to Lakshmi to come gracefully one step after another, scholars have pointed out that Lakshmi only dwells where Naarayana is worshipped. Hence, “hejjeyamelehejje” implies that first Naarayana has to come into our lives and Lakshmi Devi will then follow, placing her feet on Naarayana’s footsteps… And this is only the first of many more complex elaborations.

Purandara Daasa has made use of puns in many of his compositions. To illustrate, in this phrase, “Neenutande, naanubande” the word “tande” could mean “brought” or “father”.

It can be translated as, ‘You brought (me here), I came (here)’ OR ‘You are my father, and I am here!’

But even if the word is taken as father, it is indeed the father who brought us here! Purandara Daasa has very often packed a world of philosophy in a nutshell… a case in point being, “alliruvudu namma mane, illiruvudu summane” which literally  means, we belong there (our house is there), we are here just like that; but conveys the concepts of transience, impermanence of life on this planet, the eternal after life, the ultimate goal of life, the futility of acquisition, non-attachment, and much more.

Kutcheri

Although Purandara Daasa is known as the father of Carnatic music, his songs are not commonly sung at Kutcheris. The reason for this is said to be, not the lack of melody but, the predominance of “bhaava” over “raaga”.

Most of the songs were composed and sung while walking on the roads, inspired by the happenings around, “kaagada bandidhe…” (a letter has come…), “kallusakkare kolliro…” (have some sugar candy…) and so on, without “aalapane” or the slow rendition of the raaga and thereby introducing it (the raaga), and setting the mood for the composition that follows.

Purandaropanishath

Purandara Daasa’s songs contain the essence of all Vedanta, Upanishads and other scriptures. Composed in simple Kannada, these songs were easily understood by the masses as were the complex spiritual principles (found in Sanskrit texts), otherwise closely guarded by the orthodox.

Vyaasa Tirtha declared the collective compositions of Purandara Daasa as “Purandaropanishath” (an Upanishad in itself) and placed it in the sanctum sanctorum of the Vittala temple at Hampi. Many attempts to displace, destroy, do away with Purandaropanishath by envious contemporaries were thwarted by divine powers.

Purandara Daasa (1484 – 1564)