Purandara Dāsaru

Biography

Revered as the Pitāmaha (grandfather) of Carnatic music and Kannada devotional song, Purandara Dāsa reformed the structure of Karnataka sangīta and composed thousands of padas. His aṅkita Purandara Viṭṭhala seals each composition as an offering to Lord Viṭṭhala. His songs encode Dvaita philosophy in everyday metaphors — household life, commerce, and village scenes become windows into adhyātma.