Our knowledge of Sri Purandara Dasaru's life stems mainly from the compositions of Sri Vijaya Dasaru who lived hundred and fifty years after the passing away of Sri Purandara Dasaru. This is taken as authentic since Vijaya Dasaru is believed to be the incarnation of Bhrigu Muni, and an Aparoksha Jnani.
Vijaya Dasaru had great a faith in and devotion for Sri Purandara Dasaru. It is believed that Sri Purandara Dasaru himself appeared in Vijaya Dasaru's dream and bestowed on him the Ankitha nama of ‘Vijaya Vittala'.
Sri Purandara Dasaru lived in Purandara gadha, a small town in present-day Maharashtra, but belonging to the then Vijayanagara kingdom. His earlier name was Srinivasa Nayaka. He was engaged in the family business - dealing in precious stones. He was very rich and popularly known as Navakoti Narayana. He was a miser by nature, and cared for nothing except money.
Sri Hari decided that it was time for Srinivasa Nayaka to give up his love of money, and take his rightful role among saints. So, He took the form of a poor Brahmin and approached Srinivasa Nayaka for money in order to perform the Upanayana (thread ceremony) of his son. Even though days rolled by, Nayaka did not give him anything, but the Brahmin too did not relent. He visited Srinivasa Nayaka's shop again and again.
Six months passed by in this way. Finally, Nayaka decided that he had to do something to get rid of the Brahmin. He had a collection of worn-out coins that were more or less worthless. He poured this in front of the Brahmin and asked him to take them and never come back. The Brahmin went away, seemingly crestfallen.
Saraswathi, the wife of Srinivasa Nayaka, was a kind hearted soul who in her own way, tried to make amends for her husband's miserliness. The Brahmin, who knew this, went directly from Nayaka's shop to his residence. He told her his story and how her husband had sent him away with nothing but mere worthless old coins.
Saraswathi was disgusted by her husband's behavior. She wanted to help the poor Brahmin, but felt helpless since she could not give anything without her husband's permission. When she explained her helplessness, the Brahmin asked if she had something given by her parents (which, presumably, she could give without asking her husband's permission). She agreed and gave him the diamond nose-stud that her parents had given her.
The Brahmin took the ornament straight to Srinivasa Nayaka's shop! Nayaka became angry with the Brahmin for coming back, despite his instructions. The Brahmin clarified that he was there not to beg, but to pledge an ornament and take a loan. Nayaka was skeptical and asked the Brahmin to show him the ornament. When he saw the ornament, he was mystified because he immediately recognized it as the one belonging to his wife. When questioned about the ornament's antecedents, the Brahmin told him that it was a gift from a benefactor.
Asking the Brahmin to come back the next day, Nayaka safely locked away the ornament in a box and went home. When he saw his wife without her ornament he questioned her about it. She tried to stall him with non-committal answers, but he insisted on seeing it immediately. He was angry because he thought she had given away a valuable ornament to a beggarly Brahmin.
Saraswathi felt the ground giving way under her feet. She knew that her husband would punish her if she told him the truth. Unable to think of an alternative, she decided to commit suicide. She poured poison into a cup and lifted it to her lips. Just as she was about to drink the poison, she heard a metallic sound. Lo behold, wonder of wonders! The ornament was right there!
She could not believe her eyes. Her heart filled with gratitude, she prostrated before the idol of Krishna and took the ornament to her husband. Nayaka was astounded as it was the very same ornament that he had safely locked away in his shop. He quickly excused himself and ran back to the shop to check. The box in which he had safely locked away the ornament was empty! He was now completely and totally dumbfounded.
He went back to his house, and pressed his wife to tell him the truth. She told him everything that had transpired. This put his mind into turmoil. After deep thought, he came to the conclusion that the Brahmin was none other than Sri Hari Himself. He recalled all the incidents that had transpired in the previous six months. He was disgusted with himself, and his miserliness. He felt that his wife had conducted herself far more decently and generously than himself. Since it was his love of money that had made him ill-treat the Lord, he gave away all of his wealth with the Lord's name on his lips.
From that day onwards he became a devotee of Sri Hari. Navakoti Narayana became a Narayana Bhakta; the hands which sported gold and diamond rings now played the tamboora, the neck which used to be resplendent with golden chains now housed the Tulasi maala. The man who had turned away countless people away, now himself went around collecting alms and living the life of a mendicant. The Nayaka who would have lived and died an unimportant life became Purandara Dasaru, loved and revered even centuries after his death.
Just as the philosopher's stone turns everything it touches to gold, the Lord took a wretched miser and made him into the doyen of all haridasas. Such was the magic wrought by the Lord!
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 Theertharu. Sri Vyasaraja Theertharu who had been accepted as a great saint had composed verses both in Sanskrit and Kannada. He bestowed the name of 'Sri Purandara Dasaru' on the unattached Srinivasa Nayaka and blessed him heartily.
Purandara Dasaru has expressed his gratitude to Sri Vyasaraja Theertharu in one of his verses thus: "My only refuge is the feet of Vyasaraja. I was able to understand Purandara Vittala by his grace"...
In the course of time Sri Purandara Dasaru came to Hampi and settled down with his wife and children. He had four sons-Varadappa, Gururaya, Abhinavappa and Madhvapati. Every morning Sri Purandara Dasaru went into the town wearing bells on his ankels 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 Bhagavadgita in simple words. In yet other verses Purandara Dasaru praises Lord Krishna affectionately. In some verses he 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 the listened to his songs. Purandara Dasaru accepted alms given to him during the wandering and led a life of saint.
Sri Purandara Dasaru went on singing and finally he realized God's grace. He felt the ecstasy of God realization and at such moments he broke into song declaring "I saw Achyuta with my own eyes". He often became unconscious on account of the joy of God realization and sang: "I am saved, I have conquered life. The good fortune of serving at the feet of Padmanabha has come to me".
Each stage of Sri Purandara Dasaru's growth and development as a pious man moving towards the higher stages of God realization is significant. The greatness of his divine nature can be compositions (Suladis and Ugabhogas). The conflicts, anxieties, his hopes, fears and despair have been expressed in simple Kannada very eloquently and clearly.
Sri Purandara Dasaru became great because of his success in living the life of piety and proving the superiority of the soul over the worldly success. He has created a world of his own with his preoccupation with the life of the spirit and the strength of his devotion. We can read his verses and understand how the boy Dhruva and the sinner Ajamila reached the highest places as devotees by their devotion and piety.
Sri Purandara Dasaru 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 Dasaru has explained the whole essence of these scriptures in simple Kannada and shows 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 Sri Purandara Dasaru 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 "A letter has arrived from Padmanabha. A letter that has been written by Padmanabha himself!”
He preached several moral precepts making use of familiar incidents like the postman delivering letters. It was God's gift that Sri Purandara Dasaru 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.
Just as Sri Purandara Dasaru used incidents to preach the value of devotion, he was able to put across difficult principles in the few simple words in Kannada. Here is the verse: "The eyes which cannot see Narahari (Krishna) are no better than the eyes of peacock's feathers". He has criticized the pretense of people who merely shave off their heads without cultivating detachment of mind and pose as saints.
Scholars opine that Sri Purandara Dasaru lived for about 84 years (from AD 1480 to 1564). On the basis of the verse by Madvapati, his son, it is held that Sri Purandara Dasaru passed away a year before the fall of Vijayanagara Kingdom. Taking it as authentic, his death anniversary is celebrated on the New Moon Day, in the second fortnight of Pushya.
It's once own duty to understand Sri Purandara Dasaru's personality from his compositions and not be content with the stories that have grown around his name. We cannot come across such originality and variety in any other saint of that creed. On the basis of a verse in his name, it is said that he composed 4,75,000 songs. Whatever the number of his songs we can see the greatness from the verses available now.
He made music and song an integral part of the common man's life. About a quarter of his songs deal with his spiritual life and how it grew stage by stage. The remaining songs reveal his abundant experience, devotion, wisdom and his detachment.
Sri Vyasaraya Theertharu, his teacher himself has called his verses "Purandaropanishat". There is no need for some one else's praise.
"Salutations to you, Purandaraguru, Greatest of the saints and the kindliest"
Purandara gurum vande Dasa-sreshtham dayanidhim
This great soul Sri Purandara Dasaru composed around 4,75,000 mind and soul soothing songs out of which only around 1000 are available.
ANKITHA NAMA : PURANDARA VITTALA
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