Devarnama
देवरनाम
Kannada songs of the Haridasa saints, sung in praise of Vishnu
Devarnama (devaranama) is the Kannada devotional song of the Haridasa saints of Karnataka, sung to Vishnu. Purandara Dasa, Pitamaha of Carnatic music, is its best-known composer.
History & Evolution
The Haridasa movement took shape in Karnataka in the wake of Madhvacharya. Its starting point is disputed. The Government of Karnataka says the Haridasa Kuta is said to have been founded by Naraharitirtha, a disciple of Madhvacharya who wrote some Kannada kirtanas, while the Mysore University Encyclopaedia gives the credit for reviving Dasa literature to Sripadaraja.
The Haridasas formed two streams. The Vyasakuta wrote scholarly Sanskrit works that strengthened Madhva's doctrine. The Dasakuta taught Dvaita ideas in Kannada so that ordinary people could follow them. In the 15th and 16th centuries the movement centred on Hampi, capital of the Vijayanagara empire. There Vyasatirtha, rajaguru of the Vijayanagara kings, built up the movement and instructed both Purandara Dasa (died 1564; proposed birth years range from 1470 to 1494) and Kanaka Dasa (c. 1509 to c. 1606). The young Tyagaraja, his biographer records, learnt Purandara Dasa's songs from his father.
- 13th to 14th Century
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Movement Origins
The Haridasa movement takes shape in Karnataka after Madhvacharya founds the Dvaita school. Naraharitirtha, a disciple of Madhvacharya, writes some of the first Kannada kirtanas, and the Government of Karnataka records that the Haridasa Kuta is said to have been founded by him. - 15th to 16th Century
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Hampi and Vijayanagara
Hampi, capital of the Vijayanagara empire, becomes the centre of the movement. Vyasatirtha, rajaguru of the Vijayanagara kings, instructs Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa and Vadiraja, and Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa compose many of the devarnamas sung today. - 17th to 18th Century
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Raichur Revival
The movement gains fresh impetus around Raichur. Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa and Jagannatha Dasa join Purandara Dasa as the Dasa Chatushtaya, the four Dasas. Gopala Dasa lives from 1722 to 1762 and Jagannatha Dasa from 1727 to 1809. - 20th century to present
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Contemporary Practice
Haridasa songs entered Hindustani performance, mainly through vocalists from northern Karnataka. Bhimsen Joshi recorded songs by Purandara Dasa, Vijaya Dasa and Jagannatha Dasa on the album Daaswani in 1982.
Technical Aspects
Purandara Dasa, Pitamaha of Carnatic Music
Purandara Dasa carries the title Karnataka Sangita Pitamaha, often rendered "father of Carnatic music". Tradition credits him with the graded lessons that still open Carnatic training, and with fixing Mayamalavagowla as the raga for beginners.
Born Srinivasa Nayaka, he was a wealthy gem trader who gave up his trade to become a Haridasa. The Mysore University Encyclopaedia places his meeting with Vyasatirtha, and his initiation as Purandara Vittala, at Pandharpur in 1524. His birthplace is disputed: the Encyclopaedia names Purandaragada near Pune, and in 2018 a Kannada University committee found Kshemapura in Araga the most likely. Much of what is told of his life comes from the songs of Vijaya Dasa, who named him as his guru. Tradition credits him with 425,000 or 475,000 songs, of which fewer than a thousand survive.
Kanaka Dasa and Devotion Across Caste
The Haridasas wrote in plain, spoken Kannada so that people without learning could follow the songs, and the movement drew contributions from beyond the learned. Kanaka Dasa shows this best. He came from the Kuruba (shepherd) community, by most accounts, and was a chieftain at Bada in Haveri district. A disciple of Vyasatirtha, he wrote songs and longer works, among them Nalacharite, Haribhaktisara and Ramadhanyacharite, a debate between rice and ragi in which Rama favours ragi. Readers take it as a defence of the humble.
His songs condemn caste prejudice. An Udupi tradition holds that when he was refused entry to the Krishna shrine because of his caste, the image turned to face him; a window, the Kanakana Kindi, marks the spot. Purandara Dasa's songs also criticised divisions of caste and class.
How a Devarnama Sounds
A devarnama is a song set to a raga and a tala. The Bharatanatyam dancer and writer Mallika Jayanti notes that most were first composed in khanda chapu and mishra chapu, two-part talas of 2 + 3 and 3 + 4 beats, and sung at a medium tempo in simple language. Songs of this repertoire have a refrain (pallavi) and stanzas (charanas), often with a middle section (anupallavi).
The kriti, the three-part song that became the main item of the Carnatic concert in the early twentieth century, has the same sections. Mallika Jayanti also contrasts the devarnama with the padam: in dance a devarnama holds one emotion, bhakti (devotion), where a padam layers its emotions at a slower pace. She holds that devarnamas should be sung only in the 32 ragas Purandara Dasa used.
숙달을 향한 여정
이 분야를 익히기 위한 체계적인 여정을 따라가 보세요
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Listening and Background
Start by listening to devarnamas and reading about the Haridasa composers, from Sripadaraja to Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa and Vijaya Dasa. Follow what the songs teach: devotion to Vishnu as Lord, detachment and right living, and criticism of hypocrisy, pride and greed. Many draw on the Bhagavata and the Ramayana and on Dvaita thought.
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Sarali, alankaras and geetams
Begin with the lessons credited to Purandara Dasa: sarali varisai (scale exercises), janta varisai (exercises in doubled notes) and alankaras (note patterns set to the seven basic talas), sung in raga Mayamalavagowla. Then learn the beginners' songs in raga Malahari and the pillari gitams, simple songs in praise of Ganesha. These are teaching pieces, the ground laid before devarnamas.
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Kannada text and ankita
Work through the Kannada words of each song before you sing it: pronunciation, meaning and the story or teaching behind each line. Some Haridasas also wrote in Sanskrit, so check the language of every text. Learn to spot the ankita in a song, the signature that tells you whose composition you are singing, such as Purandara Vittala or Vijaya Vittala.
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First Devarnamas
Learn well-known songs by Purandara Dasa, then add other titles often sung, among them Krishna Nee Begane, Narayana Ninnanama and Tamboori Meetidava. Move on to the songs of Kanaka Dasa and of later Haridasas such as Vijaya Dasa and Gopala Dasa, and note each composer's ankita as you learn.
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Performance Practice
Practise each song in its tala at a steady medium tempo, keeping the Kannada words clear. Then prepare devarnamas for the settings where they are heard today: the Carnatic concert, and Bharatanatyam, where a dancer interprets the text. Compare a Carnatic recording with a Hindustani one, such as Bhimsen Joshi's Daaswani, to hear two approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I learn to sing devaranamas online with a live teacher?
You can learn to sing devarnamas, also spelt devaranamas, online with KalaSudha, live and one-to-one with a vetted teacher. A devarnama is the Kannada devotional song of the Haridasa saints of Karnataka, sung in praise of Vishnu, and Purandara Dasa is its best-known composer.
You work through the Kannada words of each song. You also learn to spot the ankita, the composer's signature naming a form of Vishnu, such as Purandara Vittala. From Foundation on, your teacher closes each topic of our courses after reviewing your work. Where enough learners sign up, KalaSudha holds workshops and summer camps.
Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!