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Purandara DAsaru- Life history- Last Part-5

From the Bhakti List Archives

Shobha Srinivasan • June 16, 1999 


Sri Vishnupreranaya Sri VishnupreethyaRTham

Sri Purandara Dasa is real social reformer. He had the dream of providing
peace of mind to all the people. His ambition is to build a healthy
society. Dasa's socialism is poorman's side. He represented the
poor people. He wished to have the poverty till the end of his life. That's
why he use to ask 'rAgiya ta.ndIra, bhikshake rAgi ya tandira' (ragi is
bascially sort of grain grown in southeren India and are being
used by the rural poor people). 

All his compositions are very simple, rich contents and informative. Others
might have told the meaning in ten words but Sri Purandara use to use only
one word to convey the message. He always reminded
about the rememering the name of Sri Narayana again and again which will
lead to liberation. He stresses these are the steps to the hall of mukthi. 

Purandara has filled courage to all the people. Even he filled the patience
among all of us. He told that one has to live and win (Isabeku iddu
jaIsabeku). He has shown the people the confidence to live and
built the positive hopes in life. He travelled all sacred places, he
climbed Tirupathi and carved bhagavantha's image in every devotee's chest. 

For those interested in decoration (shrungara) (ie always use to stand in
front of the mirror and decorating himself and feeling happy about his/her
beauty and youth) he has opened the door of reality. He has
given the ruling (shasana) about the fact in his songs. He enjoyed the and
lived the concept of passionless (absence of worldy desires) rest of his
life. His songs goes like this .. hIgguva, bagguva, tagguva,
kugguva, negguva, mugguva kadege agniyolage biddu dhagdhavAguva Ei dhEhake
yAkO higguvE yAkO manujA higguveyAkO .. (this body is expanding,
compressing, it bends, it knocks, it crashes, it goes
forward and finally lands in the fire, so why do you feel happy about
mundane things oh Man...) 

Sri Purandara Dasa is known for his compassion and conscience. He had
hundred of faces of his socialism knowledge. Any body whether he is a
thief, a butcher, one who deceived the brahma father
(brahamana) if he comes as a guest in the afternoon he has told that one
has to treat him as real guest by offering rice along with basil leaves
which will go to Sri Purandara Vittala, these are the some of the
genesis and the rulings which he has composed in the form of songs. 

One cannot measure or estimate the length and breadth of his mind. In one
song he has mentioned that those who give poison he has to be treated with
royal treatment, those who are doing hatredness should
be favoured, one who deceives him should be named after his son, those who
cheat and look after their house should be made popular (vishanikkdavniga
shaD^r asavanuNisabeku, dwesha mAduvavana
poshisalubeku, mOsagArana hesaru maganigidabeku, husidu mani kombuvana
hAdiharisalubeku...) 

Sri Purandara words are very good and each words are golden words.
ba.ndasttarali bAlikO, balu san.dheha ba.ndalli kElikO, ni.ndastutigala
tAlikO, govi.nda ninnavanendu helikO.. (live with whatever you
get, pray when there is suspicion, be patient when people blame you, tell
all of them that Govinda is his person..) 

For those men who have the vision that the life is full of worldly things
like rainbow, Dasa has reminded them that these things are illusion so he
composed the song.. yArige yarun.tu yaravina sam.sara nIra
gullE nijavalla hariyE, Aane, kudure, bhandara, rajya, uttama prabhutva,
mAnaniyara san.ga nen.taristtaru yella lolalotte... (who is bothered about
others this life is borrowed one like water bubble which may
break at any time, Elephants, Horses, treasury, country, royal honour, good
and sacred friendships, good relatives are all illusion and short lived..) 

Another song goes like this about the worldly things. hEnnu, hOnnu, maNu,
yaru hitavaru nimage ei movarolage, narIyO, dharuniyO, bhalu dhanada
siriyo.. (which is the following three things are favourable
to you, women, wealth and land ..) Then he goes on answering the question
by himself that ..nEchhadiri ei bhagya yArigu stiravalla, neralillade,
bErellade sasi hutte huvillade kayillade pala bhadide nodi (one
should not depend on this wealth which is not permanent to any body which
has come without any roots, he goes on comparing that whether flower, fruit
will grow without any shelter and without any roots).
It means that the present samsara (wealth) which is coming there is no base
(beginning or end), there is no roots and there is no source also only
miseries are the fruits which one is eating out of it. Even one
doesnot know what has happened previous and what will happen in future and
one has to experience karma phala (duties and responsibilities). 

Sri Purandara Dasa shows the way for achieving results in life by offering
things which are sold in his shop. His song goes like this.. hannu bandide
kolliro, muttu bandide kollirO, jEnu bandide kollirO, jEnu
bandide kollirO, kallusakkare bandide kollirO..yavudi kallusakkare
pullalochana srI kr^ishnAnAma ya.mba. eI kr^ishna nAmayam.ba kallusakkare
yattha hErugallinda hottu mAruvudalla, ottotti
goNiyaltumbuvudalla, yatta hOdaru badige su.nka eidakilla, uttama sarakidu
ati labha taru va.ntha.. (Fruits has come to buy, pearls has come to buy,
honey has come to buy, sugar (stone) has come to buy..
which is this sugar (stone) means the name of Sri Krishna (pullalochana)
this sugar is not put on the top of axe to take to the market, it is not
being sold in the market, this is not being taken by putting inside
the gunny bags, any where you go there is no tax for this commodity, it is
suppose to be genuine and good quality product which brings lot of profit
one who buys this..) 

Dasa invites people to have lunch like this .. rAma nAma payasake, kr^ishna
nAma sakkare, vittala nAma tuppa beresi bAyi chapparisirO.. (One can relish
through his tongue by having sweet (liquid, payasa)
of Rama with the Krishna's sugar and by putting the ghee of Vittala it will
be very tasty..) 

Purandara Dasa is a well known accounts auditor. He says that one has to
audit the mind for doing good and bad things. In his song.. manava
shodisabeku.. The genesis of this song goes like this 'it is
awakening call to all Haridasa the time is running out. one will be
sleeping like zebra in an sophisticated bed, one's life is one hundred
years out of that half is day time and rest is night time, half is awakening
and another half is sleeping. One has to take an account that out of 100
years of life 50 years is sleeping, from the other 50 years first 15 years
is youth which is considered to be lack of knowledge, last 25
years is considered to be old age, in between 20 years of youth life, when
the blood is hot and mind is running like Arabian horse towards the worldly
happiness. Where is the time to think of skilful way of
living thinking of God. One more song also tells like this. binnahake
bayallavaiah... means there is no time for praying to you, there is
innumerable no. of faults like which constitues love towards his kid,
husband/wife love, relatives affection, love towards the worldly happy
needs, country love, animals love, land love, friends love, from love it
will lead to egotism, rice egotism, knowledge egotism, youth
egotism, beauty egotism, popularity egotism,. to remove all these things
there is order from Dasa one has to fight out these kama (sex,lust), kroda
(hatredness), egotism and calls mind as burial ground mind
(masana mana) and pray Madhava. 

Dasa has also given the writing about the 'madi' one of the austerity
ritual followed. madi madi yannutta nO^rmadi haruva.. 

As if to lend support to the belief that Srinivasa Nayaka's life underwent
a change on account of his wife, Purandaradasa praises his wife in a verse
which says "All that happened is for good, it paved the way
for service to Lord Sridhar". He makes it plain in his verses that he took
to a life of renunciation only because of his wife and became a Haridasa
and wandered singing the glory of Sri Hari, scunding the
cymbals and the tamboori. Not long ago he was successful merchant. But he
was himself surprised at the change that had come about in his life and
compares it to a new kind of business he had accepted in
his life. He feels happy over the change and sings thus:"..I have been
businessman. But now the worship of Sripati is the only business I do."
Though it cannot be established beyond doubt that his life changed
because of his wife Saraswathi, his verses prove that the change did come
over his life probably because of some unexpected occurrence in his life. 

The man who was ashamed to hold the 'Dandige' (weighing balance) in his
hands [Purandaradasa uses the word Dandige in a double sense: (1) the
balance (2) Tamboori] had been convered by his wife into
a man who held the Dandige (Tamboori) gladly and went about singing praises
of Sri Hari. The man who was unwilling to hold the begging bowl and carry
the bad to collect alms in the streets had learnt to do
so without shame. The person who brought about this change was his wife.
Srinivasa Nayaka felt proud of his wife. He sings about her thus: "May her
tribe increase by thousands, May the wives of this type
increase in thousands". 

Likewise he remembers Sri Hari (Sarasijaksha) who is the inspiring force
behind all deeds and says that he made him wear the 'Tulsi Mala' (basil
necklace). Purandaradasa describes in his verses the mode of
his past and present life which is beautiful contrast between his past
preoccupation with earning money and the present dedication to the service
of Sri Hari. He describes hs present business thus: " The
kindness of Hari is my cloak, The kindness of my guru is my head dress, The
kindness of Haridasas is the cloth with which I wrap myself, wearing the
footwear called the greatest kali,-walking over the chests
of the wicked in the world is the business I do".

If you want to few songs & life history of other saints, 

http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa
http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/songs/purandara/navarathna.html
http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/com_dasa.html


I want to end this life history with a song.

'pOgadirelO ranga..' 

The first amongst them is 'pOgadirelO ranga...'. in this song, purandara
dAsa has envisaged yashoda requesting shri krishNa not to go out of the
house giving the reason that people might take him away (from
her) since He is gem anongst children. 

pOgAdirElO ranga bagilindAce        |p|
bAgAvataru kANdu etti koNDoyvAru    |a|

Meaning : 

Do not go out (of the house), O, ranga. BhagavatAs will take you away (from
me)! 

(BhagavatAs are the people who give discourses on bhagavatam and make
living. Also they depend on shri hari for everything. Bheema (or
hanuma/madhva) was the ONLY ONE who lived this style
100%.) 

suramunigaLu tamma hrudaya gafvara dalli
paramAtmana kANade arasuvaru
dorakAda vastuvu dorakItu tamagendu
harushAdindali ninna karedetii kombuvaru  |1|

Meaning : 

Saints, who have struglled to see God in their hearts, if they see you
playing outside, will take you away, thinking that they got something
invaluable. 

agaNitaguNa ninna jagada nAriyarella
hageyAgi nuDivarO gopAlanE
magugaLa mANikya tagutitu karakendu
vegAdindali bandu bigidappikombuvaru    |2|

Meaning : 

For Ladies (gopIs) you are everything inspite of their chides (against
you). They will definteley take you away when they see you thinking that
they got the gem amongst children! 

diTTa nAriyarella isTava salisendu
aTTaTTi bennaTTi tiruguvarO
srushTIsha purandara viTTala rAyane
isTishTu beNNeyA koTTenO rangayya       |3|

Meaning : 

Women who are doing vratAs to get their wants will come following you, to
pester you to give them their wants. They will show some butter and will
try to take you away. 

Sri KrishnArpanamasthu