Sri Purandara Dasa

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.