Purandara Dasa

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Purandara Dasa (about 1470 to about 1564) was a composer, singer and philosopher from what is now Karnataka in India. He was a Haridasa, a servant of Vishnu or Krishna, and followed the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya. He is seen as one of the founders of modern Carnatic music and is called the Pitamaha, the grandfather, of that music. There is debate about his birthplace. In 2018 a committee of the Karnataka government designated Tirthahalli as the most likely place. His year of birth is not certain; the year of death, 1564, comes from his son Madhvapati.

Music and breakthrough

According to tradition he was a rich trader in gold, silver and jewels, who gave away all his possessions to become a devotional singer. He made the difficult Sanskrit teaching of the Bhagavata Purana accessible to everyone in simple, melodic songs. He was one of the most important music scholars of medieval India and devised the basic course for teaching Carnatic music: step-by-step exercises called Svaravalis and Alankaras.

Influence

His exercises form the basis of Carnatic music. His influence therefore lies not only in his songs, but also in the way the tradition is handed on.

Listening

Mentioned in other articles

• Carnatic music GenreThe classical music of South India took shape in the sixteenth century in Vijayanagara, present-day Hampi, where Purandara Dasa wrote the exercises with which students still begin today.