Purandara Das

Purandara Dasa ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ
Father of Carnatic Music
Background information
Native name	ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ
Birth name	Srinivasa Nayaka ‌ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ನಾಯಕ
Born	1484 Kshemapura, near Tirthahalli, Shivamogga district, Karnataka
Origin	Kshemapura, Shivamogga, Karnataka state, India
Died	1564 Hampi, Karnataka state, India
Genres	Carnatic music
Occupation(s)	Carnatic vocalist, instrumentalist

Purandara Dāsa (Kannada: ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) (1484–1564) was a Haridasa (a devotee - servant of Lord Hari (Vishnu)), great devotee of Lord Krishna (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and a saint. He was a disciple of the celebrated Madhwa philosopher-saint Sri Vyasatirtha, and a contemporary of yet another great Haridasa, Kanakadasa. His Guru, Sri Vyasatirtha himself glorified Purandara Dasa in a song thus: Dāsarendare purandara dāsarayya (ದಾಸರೆಂದರೆ ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸರಯ್ಯ). Purandara Dasa was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-proponents of the South Indian classical music (Carnatic Music). In honor of his significant and legendary contributions to Carnatic Music, he is widely referred to as the Pitamaha (lit, "father" or the "grandfather") of Carnatic Music. He is respected as an avatara (incarnation) of the great sage Narada (a celestial being who is also a singer).

He was a wealthy diamond merchant from Karnataka, who gave away all his material riches to become a Haridasa,a devotional singer who made the difficult Sanskrit tenets of Srimad Bhagavatam available to everyone in simple and melodious songs, and is one of the most important music scholars of medieval India. He formulated the basic lessons of teaching Carnatic music by structuring graded exercises known as Svaravalis and Alankaras, and at the same time, he introduced the Raga Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners in the field - a practice that is being followed till date. He also composed Gitas (simple songs) for novice students.

Purandara Dasa is noted for composing Dasa Sahithya, as a Bhakti movement vocalist, and a music scholar. His practice was emulated by his younger contemporary, Kanakadasa. Purandara Dasa's Carnatic music compositions are mostly in Kannada, while some are in Sanskrit. He signed his compositions with the ankita (pen name), "Purandara Vittala" (Vittala is one of the incarnations of the Hindu god, Vishnu).