Purandara DAsaru- Life history- Last Part-5

[Guest guest]

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