| Purandara Dasa Purandaradasa (c. 1540 A.D) was a great literary figure of Bhakti movement, and revered as
the father of Carnatic classical music (a.k.a. Karnataka music or South Indian
classical music). Purandaradasa was a great poet, social reformer, and a
great composer. He preached the virtues of leading a pious life through his
songs, knows as padas. His innumerable compositions render themselves
beautifully to music, whether they are lullabies, folk-songs (koläta
songs), bhajans, or devotional songs. All of Purandaradasa's works
are in simple metrical songs, which can be sung on all occasions, and convey
devotion in the Bhagavata philosophy.
Purandaradas is one of the foremost saints of India to understand the power
of music and its appeal to illiterate common folk. His songs are sung in every
village of Karnataka irrespective of the community. He achieved a rare synthesis
of music and poetry. © Vikas Kamat
Purandaradas was the originator of the musical scale by which all the rules
of Carnatic school are formed. His classification of swaravali, jantivarase,
alamkara, and lakshana factors are accepted and practiced
throughout south India. Purandaradasa's Pillarigeete (or four compositions) in
praise of Lord Ganesh are practiced by students of classical music even today.
His musical scheme was followed by all subsequent great composers of south India
like Venkatamakhi Kshetrajna, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar
etc., Purandaradasa is credited with creation of 75,000 compositions, although only
a few hundreds survive till today. See Also: Bhakti -- The Path of Devotion History of the Kannada Language |