Sri Purandara Dasa

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The popular account of how Srinivasa Nayaka became Sri

Purandara Dasa:

 

According to this story, Srinivasa Nayaka was a

wealthy merchant in Purandara Gada. Enjoying his

wealth, he had become unaware of his true mission in

life. One day, the Lord decided to remind Srinivasa

Nayaka of what his true goal in life should be. He

came in the guise of a poor brahmin and begged

Srinivasa Nayaka to help with a son's "upanayana"

ceremony. In his arrogance, Srivinasa Nayaka refused

any help. For six months, the "poor brahmin" kept

pestering Srinivasa Nayaka. Finally, Srinivasa

Nayaka, out of frustration, threw a few coins at the

"brahmin" and asked to be left alone. The "brahmin"

did not accept this, and went to Srinivasa Nayaka's

wife and begged for help. Being a pious lady, she

wanted to help the brahmin in his hour of need, and

so, she took off her `mUguti' (an ornament worn on the

nose) and offered it to the

"brahmin."

 

The "brahmin" then came to Srinivasa Nayaka supposedly

to pawn the jewel. He left the jewel without actually

taking the money. Srinivasa Nayaka was puzzled by this

and examined the jewel carefully. To his amazement,

he found that it looked very much like the one owned

by his wife. So, he locked up the jewel in his safe

and went home, and had his suspicions confirmed when

he found his wife bereft of her usual ornament.

Enraged, he asked her where it was. Scared, she said

that it had broken, and that she had it in the

kitchen. Srinivasa Nayaka asked his wife to get it

immediately.

Finding no recourse, she was about to consume poison

when the Lord magically made the jewel drop into her

cup. She thanked Him, and took the jewel to her

surprised husband, who, on immediately returning to

his shop, found the jewel given to him missing from

his safe. Determined to get to the bottom of this

riddle, he went home and learned the true sequence of

events from his wife. It dawned on him then that it

was none other than Sri Hari Himself, who had come in

the guise of a brahmin to teach him a lesson.

 

He then gave away all of his great material wealth and

went in search of a Guru. Upon becoming a disciple of

Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha, he was given the `Dasa diiksha' or

initiation into the Hari-Dasa tradition, with the name

of Purandara Dasa.

 

Sri Purandara Dasa acknowledges the contribution of

his wife to his spiritual attainment in the following

composition:

 

charaNa 1:

I used to hang down my head in shame at the very idea

of holding a "betta" (a small `tambUri' used by Hari

dasa-s for aiding in holding the `shruti' (tone) while

singing). May my wife's family multiply a

thousand-fold, for she is the one who made me hold a

"betta" in my hand.

 

charaNa 2:

Thinking myself a lord, I was too arrogant to carry a

gopAla butti. (gOpAla butti is a cloth bag swung over

the shoulder by Hari dasa-s to carry alms collected.)

May my wife's clan multiply a thousand-fold, for she

is the one who made me hold a gOpAla butti.

 

charaNa 3:

I was strutting around like a king, too proud to wear

a

"tulasi" necklace (worn by those dedicated to the

service of Sri Hari). But Sri Sarasijaaksha (the

"lotus-eyed," an epithet of Vishnu) was good enough to

put the "tulasi" necklace around my neck.

 

 

 

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