Purandara Dasa

The Story

Born Srinivasa Nayaka, a rich gold merchant of Purandaraghatta, he was so miserly that he bathed wearing a mask so his face would not be seen by a holy man begging alms. When he tested his wife by pretending to drown, and she gave away their last jewel to a 'holy man', his whole value system collapsed — and in that shattering he found his true wealth: the name of Krishna.

He gave away his fortune and became a wandering singer of the divine name, composing in Kannada with such genius that he created the very framework of Carnatic music — the raga system, the lessons, and the forms that every student still learns. His songs moved from story to devotion to philosophy, and his humour and humanity made them beloved of all.

He was the pioneer of the Haridasa movement of Karnataka — the singing saint-servants of Vishnu — and his disciple lineage includes the greatest of the dasas. He sang into his eighties, and his birthday is celebrated every year in Karnataka as Purandara Dasa Jayanti, the day music itself is honoured.