Dasa Sahitya
Encyclopedia
Dasa Sahitya is the literature of bhakti movement
composed by devotees in honor of Lord Vishnu
or one of his Avatar
s. Dasa is literally servant in Kannada
and sahitya is literature. Haridasas ("servants of God") were preachers of bhakti to Lord Vishnu or one of his avatars. The bhakti literature of these Haridasas is collectively referred to as Dasa Sahitya. It is in the Kannada language.
The Haridasas contributed to the rich heritage of Karntataka music
. They made an indelible impression on the religious and cultural life of Karnataka
. They spread the didactic teachings in a musical form to the hearts of the common man. Like other doyens of Indian classical music
, these scholars offered pooja to Vishnu through music, called naadopasana. The Lord is described as Samagana priya; bhakti
through music is the most preferred path to 'reach' him.
The Haridasa compositions are popularly known as Devaranamas. Compositions like Venkatachala Nilayam, Jagadoddharana, Tamboori meetidava, Krishna Nee Begane Baaro are some of the many examples of their scholarly work.
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic...
composed by devotees in honor of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
or one of his Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
s. Dasa is literally servant in Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
and sahitya is literature. Haridasas ("servants of God") were preachers of bhakti to Lord Vishnu or one of his avatars. The bhakti literature of these Haridasas is collectively referred to as Dasa Sahitya. It is in the Kannada language.
The Haridasas contributed to the rich heritage of Karntataka music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
. They made an indelible impression on the religious and cultural life of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. They spread the didactic teachings in a musical form to the hearts of the common man. Like other doyens of Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, these scholars offered pooja to Vishnu through music, called naadopasana. The Lord is described as Samagana priya; bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
through music is the most preferred path to 'reach' him.
The Haridasa compositions are popularly known as Devaranamas. Compositions like Venkatachala Nilayam, Jagadoddharana, Tamboori meetidava, Krishna Nee Begane Baaro are some of the many examples of their scholarly work.
Some noted composers of Dasa sahitya
- Purandaradasa, popularly known as Karnataka sangeeta pitamaha or "Father of Karnataka musicCarnatic musicCarnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
". - Kanakadasa.
- VyasatirthaVyasatirthaVyasatirtha , also called Vyasaraja or Vyasaraya or Vyasraja swamin, was acclaimed as one of the three spiritual lights or munitrayam of dvaita Vedanta, i.e., Sri Madhvacharya, Sri Jayatirtha and Sri Vyasatirtha. He was a scholar of very high order with a judicious defence of the Dvaita Vedanta...
. - Gopaladasaru.
- Vijaya DasaVijaya DasaVijaya Dasa or Sri Vijaya Dasa was a prominent saint from the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka, India in the 18th century. Sri VijayaDasaru is an amsha of Sri Brighu Muni; the very same muni, who was the nimmita for the eternal kshetra Tirumala ! Sri Krishna himself in BG 10.25 says "maharsinam...
. - Jagannathadasaru.
External links
- Complete Dasa sahitya http://www.dasasahitya.gov.in
- Dasa Sahitya or Slave Literature by Dr. Jyotnsa Kamat