Purandara Dasa

Question 1

Purandara Dasa’s lifespan

Answer 1

1486-1564

15th - 16th centuries

Question 2

True or false:

Purandara Dasa was not the first to systemize the manner of learning Sangeetham.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

What did Purandara Dasa compose?

Answer 3

Sarali, Janta, alankaras, geethams, devarnamas, pillari geethams

Question 4

Other names for Purandara Dasa

(Music related, NOT pet names)

Answer 4

• Karnataka Sangeetha Pitamaha
• adi guru

Question 5

Purandara Dasa’s parents

Answer 5

Vardhappa Naik & Kamala Bai

Vardhappa Naik was a diamond merchant.

Question 6

Where was Purandara Dasa born?

Answer 6

Purandaragudda

Near Hampi

Fun fact: he even sang in K. Deva Raya’s court!

Question 7

Purandara Dasa’s original name

Answer 7

Srinivasa

People fondly called him Sinappa.

Question 8

True or false:

Purandara Dasa was a scholar in Sanskrit and Litearture.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

At what age did Purandara Dasa get married?

Answer 9

age 16

he got married to Saraswathi Bai

Question 10

How old was Purandara Dasa when his parents passed away?

Answer 10

20

He then took over his father’s business and became very succesful.

Question 11

True or false:

After seeing his success in business, people gave Purandara Dasa the name “Navakoti Narayana”

Answer 11

True

As he became successful, he was a merciless meanie but his wife wasn’t.

Question 12

Why did a poor man come to Sinappa’s store asking for money?

Answer 12

To perform his son’s thread ceremony (upanayana)

Question 13

True or False:

Purandara Dasa accepted the poor man’s request for money and gave it to him.

Answer 13

False

The poor man then went to Dasa’s wife, knwoing that she wasn’t a meanie like him

Question 14

What did Saraswathi Bai give the poor man?

Purandara Dasa’s wife

Answer 14

Her diamond nose ring

Question 14

True or false:

The poor man went to Sinappa’s store to sell his wife’s nose ring

(Dasa’s wife)

Answer 14

True

Dasa then went home to ask his wife about the ring.

Question 15

Why did Saraswathi Bai decide to kill herself?

Answer 15

Because she was scared Dasa would get mad at her

She decided to poison herself.

Question 16

What happened when Saraswathi Bai wanted to end her life?

(She wanted to poison herself)

Answer 16

The ring which she gave away was found in the bowl where there was supposed to be poison.

(It was the exact same as the one she gave away)

Question 17

True or false:

Sinappa did not change at all after the nose ring incident.

Answer 17

False

He gave away all his wealth and started singing about God.

Question 18

What was Purandara Dasa’s first song that he composed?

Answer 18

Mosa Poyidhe - Atana - Kannada

Question 19

True or false:

Purandara Dasa was the first to introduce Shankarabharana ragam.

Answer 19

False. He was the first to introduce Mayamalavagoula, through the 15 abhyasa ganams (basics).

Question 20

True or false:

Purandara Dasa was the first to compose in Kannada.

Answer 20

True

He has composed over 47,500 devarnamas in Kannada.

Question 21

How many times did Sinappa go on pilgrimage?

(He went from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari)

Answer 21

3 times

Question 22

Who gave Sinappa the name Purandara Dasa?

Answer 22

Vyasarasa Pitathipathi Swamiji Sathyadharma Tirtha

Question 23

What is Purandara Dasa’s mudra?

Answer 23

Purandara Vittala