ನಮಿಪೆ ಶ್ರೀಪಾದರಾಯರಿಗೆ ನಮನ ವ್ಯಾಸ ಯೋಗಿಗೆ
ಶ್ರೀ ಪುರಂದರ ಗುರುವರಗೆ ಬಳಿಕ ವಿಜಯದಾಸರಿಗೆ
6th February, 2008, is Pushya bahuLa amavasye – the new moon day in the dark half of the lunar month of Pushya. This is the day Purandara Aradhane is celebrated.
The saint, musician, composer, social reformer – all in one- Purandara Dasa departed from this earth on this day in the year 1564 AD. Every year, music lovers congregate on this day and sing compositions of Purandara Dasa, and other hari dasas.
Purandara Dasa is termed the “Pitamaha of Karnataka Sangeeta”. As per tradition, he was the one who made the system of teaching early lessons to music students. This tradition is continuing since his time.
His own guru Sri Vyasaraya says: “ದಾಸರೆಂದರೆ, ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸರಯ್ಯ” – If one becomes a dAsa, he should be like Purandara dAsa! What is better than being praised by one’s own teacher?
Purandara Dasa has composed thousands of padas (ಪದ), ugabhOgas (ಉಗಾಭೋಗ) and sulAdis (ಸುಳಾದಿ).
I ugabhogas very interesting. A very concise way of getting to the point – in a few short lines. I wonder if hari dasas were influenced by Basavanna and other shiva sharaNas when they sang these ugaabhogas.
Here is one ugaabhoga of Purandara Dasa, and its translation.
ಬೆಲ್ಲದ ಕಟ್ಟೆಯ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಬೇವಿನ ಬೀಜವ ಬಿತ್ತಿ ಜೇನು ಮಳೆಗರೆದರೆ ವಿಷ ಹೋಗುವುದೇನಯ್ಯ
ಏನು ನೋಡಿದರೇನು ಏನು ಮಾಡಿದರೇನು ಮನದೊಳಗಿನ ತಾಮಸ ಮಾಣದನ್ನಕ್ಕ
ಕೊಳಲ ದನಿಗೆ ಸರ್ಪ ತಲೆದೂಗುವಂದದಿ ಇದಕೇನು ಮದ್ದು ಪುರಂದರ ವಿಠಲ?
Here is my attempt in translating this:
After planting a neem seed, does the bitterness go away
If you rain honey and build an embankment of jaggery?
What is the point in doing things or going places
When the inner darkness doesn’t budge?
Like the snake swayng its hood to the tune of the flute,
What is the medicine for this ailment? Oh Purandara Vithala!
Purandara Gurum Vande Dasa Shreshtham Dayanidhim
ಪುರಂದರ ಗುರುಂ ವಂದೇ ದಾಸಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠಂ ದಯಾನಿಧಿಂ
If you understand Kannada, then you might find this talk on Dasa Sahitya interesting.
http://hamsanandi.mypodcast.com/2008/02/A_Birds_Eye_View_of_Dasa_Sahitya_-78364.html
-neelanjana
ಅಲ್ಲಿದೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆ 
6 comments
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ಫೆಬ್ರವರಿ 5, 2008 at 9:29 ಅಪರಾಹ್ನ
Aram
Thanks for the short but sweet rememberance of the great saint.
” I wonder if hari dasas were influenced by Basavanna and other ShivasharaNas when they sang these ugaabhogas.”
The verse quoted by you is a good example reminiscent of a vachana.
Only yesterday, I was listening to Nagaraja Havaldar’s vachana CD and had wondered about a comparison of Basavanna and Purandaradasa. Today I see that you have addressed the very same point as if you had read my mind.
It is nice to know that in those days there was no madivanthike or prejudice against one another. Both Basavanna and Purandaradasa wrote in language that is very easy to understand.
Speaking of madivanthike, I recall reading somewhere that Bhimsen Joshi when asked to sing a vachana declined remarking that vachana was for Vaachana. Similarly, Mallikarjun Mansur who initiated vachana singing ( at the behest of Aa.Na.Krishna Rao, a Madhwa?) never sang daasa ra padagalu. However, both Joshi and Mansur had no reservation against singing muslim bandishes.
While Basavanna and others have their own appeal and importance, Purandaradasa had a great sense of humor, pun, wordplay, etc. An example: Turukaru karedare uNabahudaNNa.. Here turukaru can stand for Turks or muslims or it can also stand for turu and karu meaning cattle while karedare has two distinct meanings – invite or yield milk.
Hope to read even more extensive output from you on the dasashreshta and his works.
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ಫೆಬ್ರವರಿ 6, 2008 at 9:03 ಫೂರ್ವಾಹ್ನ
Arunk
Based on the translations of a few Purandaradasa songs I have read, the philosophical import in his songs is one of the best, if not the best – among songs set to cm. I know that is perhaps a bold statement when you have Thyagaraja et. al, but sometimes I really do think so.
Simple yet powerful lyrics that sometimes ask pointed questions at us – about the (oft misguided) human tendencies. For example, that song maDi – maDi maDiyendu” simply superb!
Even though he is recognizes as the pitamaha etc. it is sort of ironic that outside karnataka, that “tag” seems mainly associated with those starting lessons and the gitams. His songs need a lot lot more recognition in the carnatic circuit than they do today. Yes – the original tunes are lost in many (most?) cases, but look at those lyrics and their meaning! His works need more light shown on them just for the lyrics and meaning.
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ಫೆಬ್ರವರಿ 7, 2008 at 1:31 ಅಪರಾಹ್ನ
neelanjana
Arunk,
I agree – Having read translations of Tyagaraja, I certainly feel that Purandara, (and many other haridAsas – Particularly Sripadaraya and KanakadAsa) are way ahead in terms of the poetic content in their compositions. This in now way an offence to Tyagaraja though!
Original tunes are lost is most cases I think – but I guess some songs that can be traced back to the beginning of 20th century probably are reminiscent of what they looked like in their original shape ( before the invasion of the likes of vAsanti, janasammodini, brindAvani and rEvati 🙂 !
I tend to think many of the dhAtus of dEvaranAmas in rAgas like kalyANi, kAmbhOji, bilahari, sAvEri, Ananda bhairavi, dhanyAsi and shankarabharaNa to have preserved their original tune somewhat intact.
BTW, have you seen a copy book published by Lalitangi anywhere?
-neelanjana
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ಫೆಬ್ರವರಿ 11, 2008 at 1:40 ಫೂರ್ವಾಹ್ನ
rk
rarely do teachers praise students. and what a praise purandaradasa got! his guru was truly very broadminded.
namaskara neelanjana!
thanks for your comments at RwB.
just now posted a reply there. extremely sorry for being late.
i’m honoured to blogroll this site.
have lots to read here!
regards and best wishes
rk
@rk
namaskAra & welcome to my ‘house’
After reading your article, I recalled the first ever dEvaranAma I learnt 🙂 It was ADa pOgOna bArO ranga – I was about 6 years old, and I learnt that song while my sister was taught that song in her dance class.
Thanks for posting the inner meaning of muLLu koneya mEle mUru kaTTeya kaTTi.
-neelanjana
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ಜನವರಿ 25, 2011 at 8:09 ಫೂರ್ವಾಹ್ನ
Prashanth
namastey neelajana,
ADa pOgOna bArO ranga ee hadu nimhatra iddare, dayavittu nanage kaluhisikodi.
Inti Prashanth
Prashantpi@gmail.com
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ಜನವರಿ 25, 2011 at 9:21 ಫೂರ್ವಾಹ್ನ
neelanjana
ನಮಸ್ತೆ ಪ್ರಶಾಂತ್
ನನ್ನ ನೆನಪಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಪದಗಳು ಸರಿಯಿದೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲವೇ ಎಂದು ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ನೋಡಿ, ನಂತರ ಬರೆದು ಕಳಿಸುವೆ.
-ನೀಲಾಂಜನ
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