The Pancharatra Agama

It was Vaikunta Ekadeshi  and it was just a few days back and hundreds of devotees had come to the Srinivasa Temple in LIC Colony, Jayanagar 3^rd Block, Bangalore on the occasion.

The temple officials and a large number of  volunteers were seen distributing Puliyogre and Laadu and scores of people were seen eating them on the temple premises itself right from early morning. A few devotees took away the Prasada home, saying that since it was Ekadeshi, they would consume it the next day.

Some others sought to know whether it would be appropriate to consume Theertha Prasada and Prasada in temples not run, operated and/or presided over by their community.

For them, I had one answer. The Pancharatra Agama, which is among the sacred texts for Vaishnavas and which have been extensively quoted in several works by Madhwacharya, has an answer to such queries.

I will quote a verse from the text which deals directly with the issue. The Smruthimanikya Sangraha, which is part of the Pancharatra Agama, in verse 1471 says:

“tasmAdeteshhu sthAneshhu naivedyaM na cha dushyati
chandaalaasyApi saMsparshe dUradeshAgupAgate
annAdyaM naiva dushTaM syAt.h madhusUdanashAsanAth

tIrthanirmalyapakvAnnaM pUrvaM yaddharisevitaM
venkaTAchalapUrve tu svayaM vyakte na dushyate”

This shloka makes it amply clear that the Prasada has to be or can be taken at pilgrim places, irrespective of who prepared it. More specifically, it mentions the Venkatachalapathy temple (first word of the last line) and also says in the line before that Theertha and Nirmalya can be taken at the temple.

Now the question is what is Pancharatras and how did Madhwacharya see it. The Pancharatra are Vaishnava Sanskrit texts, literally meaning five nights.

The term has also been attributed to the Shatapatha Brahamana  ( This is a prose texts describing the Vedic ritual, associated with the Shukla Yajurveda) wherein Narayana performed a sacrifice for five nights and became a transcendent and immanent.

Vaishnavas and Srivaishnavas adhere to the Pancharatra system of worship.

Madhwacharya has invested the Pancharatras with the status of Sadagamas and he has referred to them in many of his works. In Mundaka Upanishad, he says, “In Dwapara Yuga, Vishnu is worshipped as per the cannons of the Pancharatraw. In Kali Yuga, he is worshipped by the chanting of his name”.  

The Pancharatra Agamas are considered to be a continuation of the Vedic tradition and Madhwacharya considered them to be holy and valid as they emanated from Narayana himself.

What makes the Pancharatra Agamas so important is that the form and style of worship that we follow today is based on them. Moreover, different forms of Vasudeva or Vishnu are introduced here.

Infact, the Pancharatra derives its name from the discourse that Vasudeva gives to five seers over a period of five nights-Shandilya

Aupagayana, Maunjayana, Kaushika and Bharadwaja. Another legend says Vishnu revealed these holy texts to Garuda, Anantha, Rudra, Brahma and Vishvakasena.

Some of the important works that form the vast body of Pancharatra literature are Shandilya Samhita, Vishnu Samhita

Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Vishnu Tatwa Samhita, Sudarshana Samhita and Prakasha Samhita.

There are more than 200 such works in existence and Madhwacharya was perhaps the first Madhwa seer to quote extensively from them.

The Pancharatras are important for both Vaishnavas and Srivaishnavas as they contain a lot of information about Vishnu and the practice of the Vaishnava faith.

The Uttaradhi Matha says that “the dictates of the Pancharatra literature are followed in most South Indian Vaishnava temples”.

Some of the Pancharatra Agama texts known are: Shandilya Samhita, Vishnu Samhita, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Vishnu Tatwva Samhita, Sudarshana Samhita and Prakasha Samhita.

The philosophy of the Pancharatras are beautifully expounded in the Jayakhya Samhita. Thus. The Agamas can be called as practical texts of Vishnu worship.

In general, the Pancharatra school of though and philosophy believes Hari manifests himself in or through five different forms. They are Para, Vyuha, Vaibhava, Antaratma and archa.

The third Ranga

The third Ranga is in Srirangam and it is called Antya Ranga. The road diastance from Srirangapatna via Shivanasamudra to Srirangam is about 360 kilometers and the travelling time is around seven hours.

If you leave Srirangapatna around 7-30 a.m., you will be able to pray at Shivanasamudra and touch Srirangam by 5-30 p.m.

Some of the routes to take are Srirangapatna-Shivanasamudra- Kollegal - Chamrajnagar - Hanur - Dimbam - Banneri - Sathymangalam - Athani - Anthiyur - Bhavani - Tiruchengode - Nammakal and Trichy.

Other routes are Shivanasamudra-Kollegal-Hanur-MM Hills-Kolathur-Mettur-Mecheri-Omalur-Salem-Namakkal-Srirangam. The distance on this route would be 323 Kms.
Another route is Shivanasamudra-Kollegal-Hanur-Muthuchettiyur-Bargur-Bhavani-Namakkal-Srirangam and this is 292 Kms long.

If you are not comfortable with the Sathy-Bhavani road, go from Sathy to Annur and join NH 47 at Avinashi and travel via Erode to Tiruchengode and Namkkal. Do not take the Namakkal-Musiri route but opt for Thuraiyur instead.

Besides, the Hanur-Kolathur-Mettur route is a jungle road with forest check posts. This was once the haunt of the dreaed forest brigand Veerappan.

Once in Srirangam, halt either there or at Trichy. There are scores of temples in both the places. Some of the other places are as follows:

Gunaseelam

This is a famous temple town with Lord Venkateshwara believed to have powers to cure mentally ill and physically challenged people.

This is a famous Vaishnavite centre and it is situated on the Trichy-Salem Road. It is 18 kms from Trichy.

 

Thiruvellarai

This is another Vaishnava centre and one among the 108 Divya desams of Vaishnavites. It is situated on the Trichy- Thuraiyur road. It is 15 kms from Trichy.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and he is called Pundarikasha Perumal.

Uthmar koil

Here, we can find the Holy Trinity of Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara. Devotees believe that any of their wish will be fulfilled if they pray sincerely to the pious trinity. 

The temple is north of Trichy Fort Railway station and it is located on the Salem- Trichy road. This is also one of the 108 Vaishnavite sthalams.

Samayapuram

This is a Shaivite centre and it is 16 kms from Trichy. It is an important Sakthi centre and it is located on the Trichy-Chennai highway.

The main temple is dedicated to Mariamman. This temple is about 10 kms from Trichy.

Makalikudi

This is just a kilometre south east of  Samayapuram. The temple here is called Ujjaini Kali Amma Temple.

According to legend, Emperor Vikramadhitya of Ujjaini, took bath here and worshipped the Kali idol. The Kali is a small brass deity  with eight hands.

The Shakthi Theertha here is said to have curative powers.

Kodumbalur

This is also called as Moovar Kovil and it is located 42 kms from Trichy. It is on the Trichy-Madurai National Highway.

There are two temples here built during the Irukkuvelar dynasty when they ruled these areas. The temples were constructed by Boodhi Vikramakesari in the 10th century A.D. The sculptures of Kalarimurthi, Gajasamharamurthi, Ardhanariswara and Gangadaramurthi are masterpieces of art.

Another temple nearby is that of  Muchukumdeswarar but tsi is dated to the period of the Early Cholas.

Puliancholai

This is a beautiful picnic spot. It is located 70 kms from Trichy and it is located at the foothills of Kolli Hill ranges. The Agaya Gangai falls on top of the Koli Hills is believed to have medicinal value. The trek to reach Agaya Gangai Falls (Hill top) takes close to five hours. The falls are located on age-old rock structures, dolmens and the Pithukkuli caves.

Tiruvanikaval

This is a Shaivite temple and it is located 6 kms from Trichy. Shiva here is named as Jambukeshwara and the Goddess as Akilandeswari. This is among the jyotirlinga stalams (temples) of India.

Shiva here is in the form of water called Appulingam (water). The linga is partly submerged in water which keeps on coming up from a spring.

Viralimalai

This is a small town located at about 30 km from Trichy. It is famous for the Murugan temple and a Peacock park.

The wild peacocks roam around the Murugan temple. The Peacock is said to be the Vahana or vehicle of Murugan.

Sittannavasal

This is a small village 30 kms from Trichy.

There are remains of  Jain cave temples dating back to 2nd century B.C. The fresco paintings here remind us of the paintings of  Ajanta near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Many of the paintings belong to 9th century Pandyan period.

There are also inscriptions dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Fresco painting from the 7th century can be seen on the ceiling of the Dhamandapam. There are many pre-historic burial sites around Sittannavasal and several relics such as burial urns, cists have been unearthed from here and at Kurangupatarai.

Thirukokarnam

This has a Government Museum located at Pudukkottai. This is 40 kms from Trichy. The museum has rare collections and artifacts on covering geology, zoology, art and painting, anthropology, epigraphy and historical records.

The museum is open on all days except Mondays.

Kudumiyanmalai

This is 25 kms from Trichy. This has a temple dedicated to Shiva. The deity here is called Kuduminatha or Shikhagirinatha as alock of hair or Kudumi was noticed on the idol.

The sanctum was built by the Cholas in 9th century.

Tirumayam

This is 79 kms from Trichy.

It is located near Pudukkottai. There are rock cut cave temples and an old fort. The cave temples are dedicated to Siva and he is called  Sathyagireeswarar: and Vishnu (Sathyamoorthy) and they were built by Mahendra Verma  and Narasimha Varma, both Pallava Emperors.

On top of the hills is an old fort Oomaiyan Kottai.

It was in this fort that the British imprisoned rebels captured by them. The fort was built in 1687 by King Sethupathi of  Ramanathapuram. The Siva temple has some inscriptions related to  music. There are two shrines in the Vishnu temple. The first is where Vishnu is seen reclining. This is the largest reclining statue of its kind in the country. On the walls behind the idol are beautiful carvings depicting Vishnu and the serpent Adisesha chasing away rakshasas by spewing fire and poison

Panchamalai

This is a beautiful hill range  80 km away from Trichy. The best route is through Thuraiyur. It is a picnic spot to enjoy nature. Pachai in Tamil means green and the area is covered in green. The tribals here have their own unique culture.

The altitude of the hills is from 500 metres to 1000 meters. This hills have a number of scenic spots like Thenparanadu, kombainadu , Athi Nadu and Vannadu. This is good for trekking, Nature walk and observing wildlife.

Vayaloor

This is just 12 kms from Trichy. It has a Subramaniya Temple. It is called Arulmigu Subramaniyaswamy Temple and it is located at Kumara Vayaloor near Kuzhumani.

It is well connected by road from Trichy.

Srinivasanallur

This is famous for the Koranganatha Temple, which is situated on the banks of Cauvery. It is 50 kms from Trichy. It is located on the Tiruchy - Salem highway. This is not a living temple and it has some of the finest Chola sculptures.

Tirupattur

This is the location of the famed  Brahmapureeswara temple and it is 30 kms from Trichy.

It is located on the Trichy-Chennai route at Siruganur village. The main deity here is Swayambu Linga and it is worshipped as Brahmapureeswara.

Devotees believe that it is only at this place that one’s fate can be changed. There is a Samadhi of Sage Patanjali opposite the idol of Brahma.

Poovalur

The temple here is of Shiva. It is here that Rathi Devi got back Manmatha, the God of Love, by praying to Shiva.

Shiva had burnt Manmatha to ashes after he tried to divert his attention by aiming arrows of love at him. A grief struck Rathi Devi prays to Shiva to restore her husband back to life. Shiva here is also called as Jnanapureswara as the Sapta Rishis worshipped him here for obtaining knowledge.

The temple is called Thirumoola nadha Shiva temple. It is located 20 kms from Trichy and 3 kms north of Lalgudi. It is located on the Trichy-Ariyalur road.

Lalgudi

In earlier days, Lalgudi was called Thiruthavathuri. It is 20 kms from Trichy and it is on the banks of Coleroon.

Lalgudi is well known for the temple of  Saptharisheeswara or the seven saints or rishis- Atri, Brigu, Pulsitha, Vasishta, Gautha, Angeerasa and Marichi. These rishis prayed to Saptharisheeswara here to rid them of the curse of Lord Murugan.

Thirupalaithurai

This temple town is just 12 kms from Trichy. It is also called as Panayapuram.

This is famous as one of the 275 sacred Shiva temples.The temple is called  Thirumoolanadhar Thevar.

The linga is a self manifested one. The Sun God and Sage Markandya worshipped Shiva here.

Pettaivaithalai

This is located 23 kms from Trichy and it is on the road to Karur.

There is a Shiva temple here and the deity is called Madhyarjuneswara. This is an ancient temple and a large number of women come here to get rid of  their problems.

Apart from these places, there are plenty of temples in and around Lalgudi such as the Asta Bhuja Durga, Alandurai and Nambi temples at Anbil; the Samavedeeswara temple at Thirumangalam

(2 kms from Anbil);  the Ambravaneswara Temple at Thirumandhurai (5 kms from Anbil); the Adi Lakshmi Temple at Natham (12 kms from Anbil).

We have alist of more than two hundred temples and a hundred towns and villages in and around Trichy-Srirangam area. But to detail all that information here would be impossible. I hope the information provided here is sufficient. By the way, in case you stay for more days, head for Thanjavur and Kumbakonam from Trichy. Thajnavur is famous for the Big temple and Kumbakonam has hundreds of temples. The most important temples here are the Sarangapani and Chakrapani temples and the Kumbeshwara. Of course, there is the Vijendra Theertha Matah where Raghavendra Swamy lived for several years and preached. The Brindavana of Vijendra Thertha, the Parama Guru of Raghavendra Swamy, is here.
You can also take a trip to the Navagraha temples in and around Kumbakonam.       

The Haridasis of Karnataka

Talk of Women Haridasas or rather Haridasis and the first name that comes to out mind is Helavanakatte Giriamma and  Harapannahalli Bheemavva.

What many tend to forget is that apart from these two Haridasis-yes they should be called so if the men can be called Haridasas-there are a host of others who are credited with more than 7,000 compositions.

A majority of these women writers were Haridasis and Vaggeyakara.

One of the first Haridasi was Galgali Avva who wrote under Ankita Rama. She lived from 1670 to 1760 and her compositions on the Pandavas are unique and distinguish her from others of her ilk.

She had an apt disciple, Bhagamma who was also called Prayagavva.

Harapanahalli Bheemavva (1823-1903) was introduced to Dasa Sahitya by her grandfather who always sang Dasara Padagalu for her. She was given the Ankita Bheemesh Krishna by Narada.

She has many compositions on Hari, Krishna, Prana Devaru. She is famous even today for her Harati Hadagalu.

One of  her best works is on the Dasavathara and it is called Stuthi Mallike. Many of her compositions are on Madhwa philosophy. In one of her compositions, while describing Krishna’s Rasa Leela, she speaks of more than 70 types of saris, including, Uppada, Kornad, Benares, Chanderi and varieties of Paithani.

Yadugiriamma (1828-1908) was another Vaishnava poetess. Her collection of songs was brought out in 2003 under the title. “Yadugiriammanavara Krutigalu”.

She was a versatile writer and she knew Sanskrit apart from Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. She visited several pilgrim places and wrote about them. Her compositions on  Melkote, Tirupati, Srirangam are evocative. She gives us a visual description of  the various festivals of the Srirangam temple and Ranganatha.

She was a master of composition and this is shown when she gives the gist of the Ramayana in 100 stanzas of two lines each. This is the Ramayana Mangalam. It is a composition in 55 stanzas and it is classified as one of her 52 dheerga kritis or long compositions.

Yadugiriamma’s compositions are similar to the Neeraattam pasurams that we see in the Divya Prabandham. Her compositions on Andal are superb.

Yadaugiriamma’s Ankita was Venkata or Venkatakrishna.

Another outstanding poetess is Nanjangud Thirumalamba (1889-1982). She was married, as was the custom during those times, at the age of 10 and was widowed at the age of 14. She then educated herself and learnt to read and write Kannada, Telugu and Tamil all by herself.

A doughty woman, she began a journal in 1916. She published 28 books in 20 years. One of her stories became controversial. Here, the housewife reforms her philandering husband, who apologises to her. This story incensed Masti Venkatesha Iyengar who objected to the idea of a husband apologising to his wife. He then wrote an essay criticising Thriumalamba’s story and this can be seen in  Vimarse, Volume IV, a collection of Masti’s critical writings.

Masti’s trenchant criticism led to Thirumalamba being ostracised by the literary world until the late 1970s. Thirumalamba died in 1982 at the ripe age of 93.

Helavanakatte Giriyamma (1691-1725) is perhaps the most famous among all of the Haridasa poetess of Karnataka. She was born in Ranebennur. Her Ankitha was Helavanakatte Ranga.

Her Udhalikana Kathe has 448 charanas and Chandrahasana Kathe has 355 charanas. The Kannada Adhyayana Aamsthe (Institute of Kannada Studies, University of Mysore) has published a book on her called “Helevankatte Giriammana Hadagalu in 1987. It was edited by T. K. Indubaayi.

Udupi Yashodamma was popularly known as Bhajane Yashodamma as she was regularly performing bhajans in temples n and around Udupi for four decades. She was a well-known Harikatha, bhajan and harmonium artiste.

There are several other women poetess or Haridasis. Some of them include, Turadagi Timmamma (Her ankita was Hoohoor Esha), Orevaayi Lakshmidevamma who wrote under the pen name  Narasimhavithala, Tulasabai who was also called sunadarabai and her Ankita was Shreevenkatesh.

Other Haridasis are: Nadigara Shantibai (Her pen name was  Shanti), Radhabai (Venkatavitala Raghavendra), Sarasabai ( Ramavallabhavittala), Namagiriyamma (Guru Prasanna Venkata Vittala), Rangamma (Balakrishna), Gundamma ( Rukmaneeshavittala), Amabai (Gopalakrishna Vittala)

Kalasada Sundaramma (Kalimardana Krishna), Nidaguruki Jeevubai (1897-1983- Kamalanabhavithala), Venkatasubbamma ( Venkatasubbi), Kalasada Sundaramma (Mookambike), Chechamma (Sheshakka) Maruti Odeya, Kamalabai  (Gurujayesha Vittala), Saraswati Bai (Sri Srinivasa), Saraswati Raajawade ( Giribale), Padmavati Kolara (Krishnaveni), Sarpaadi Ganagamma (Ganagajanaka), Rukmini Bai Rotti (Rukminikrishna), Maniyamma (Venugopala), Doddi Sudhabai (Kapila), Lakshmibai Badasheshi (Koppara Narasimha), Shanatabai Maski (Venkatavittala), Lakshmibai Bannigola (Lakumipriya), Chandoobai (Giri Venkatesh).

Many of these poetess wrote about common things of life just as Purandara Dasa did. All of them were devotees of  Hari and their compositions are as evergreen today as they were when composed. 

The Hari Dasas and their compositions

 There are scores of  Bhakti traditions or movements in India but perhaps the most unique of them is the Haridasa system. It is also known as the Vaishnava system and it flourished from 1350 to 1850 AD.

This movement was confined almost exclusively to Karnataka (the old Mysore state which also comprised parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) in the beginning before it spread to other states.The Haridasa movement traces its origin to the teachings of Madhwacharya and his followers.

Hari means Vishnu and Dasa means servant. There is a huge volume of devotional songs and compositions called Devaranamas under the Haridasa genre and they are mostly devoted to Rama, Krishna, Srinivasa, Vittala and Narasimha.

The Dwaitha philosophy of Madhwacharya (1238-1317) had a great bearing on the Haridasa movement. Many of the Dwaitha saints were also Haridasas of note.

Though Madhwacharya wrote several works, all of them were in Sanskrit. There is a belief that Madhwacharya wrote two  books in Kannada, not much is known about them and even their veracity is not proved. His followers did write hymns and devotional songs but they were primarily in Sanskrit. Many saints who came after Madhwacharya tried to simplify his teachings and also wrote in the language known to the common man.

One such saint is Naharahi Theertha, one of the four direct disciples of Madhwacharya. The other three direct disciples are Padmanabha Theertha, Madhava Thertha and Akshoba Theertha.

Narahari Theertha wrote two books so that the common man can understand the Haridasa concept preached by Madhwa. He is also the pioneer of the Yakshagana system in Karnataka and the Kathakali dance form in Kerala. (See earlier article in the archive for the contribution of Madhwacharya and Narahari Theertha to the origin and development of Yakshagana).

He has written a few Kannada songs on Vishnu which are available today. The Srikumam inscriptions credits the origin of Haridasa Sahitya to him.

The Haridasa tradition, as it is today, owes much to Sripadaraja Theerha (1404-1502) of Sripadaraja Matha in Mulabagal. This seer was the first to write or compose songs in Kannada. His song Baroo Namma Manege caught the imagination of the people. Soon, Dasas realised the importance of composing songs and singing them in Kannada. Sripadaraja is, therefore, rightly called the pioneer of the Haridasa movement.

A disciple of Sripadaraja was Vyasa Theertha, This seer, who was born in Bannur in Mysore was a major influence on the Bhakti movement and Dwaitha tradition in South India during the period he lived. Vyasa Theertha entered Brindavana on 1539 at Nava Brindavana in Hampi. He was a friend and guide to Purandara dasa, Kanaka Dasa and perhaps even to Vaikunta Dasa.

Vyasa Theertha had a large number of  disciples such as Sudhindra Theertha. Govinda Wodeyar, Srinivasa Theertha and  Vadiraja each of whom made valuable contrinution to Haridasa and Dwaitha literature.  

His Krishna Nee Begane Baro is commonly and ofcourse mistakenly attributed to Purandara Dasa.   

Vadiraja Theertha (1480-1600) was also a great composer. The saint, whose Brindavana is at Sode, was perhaps the most notable and eminent disciple of the redoubtable Vyasa Theertha and his works gave a fresh impetus to Dwaitha philosophy and literature.  

A peculiar feature of the Haridasa sahitya or literature is that it is almost exclusively devoted to Hari or Vishnu and the tenets of Dwaitha philosophy as propounded by Madhwacharya.

 This literature is very similar to the Jain literature that flourished in Karnataka several centuries prior to the birth and spread of  Haridasa literature.

The Jain literature in Karnataka has produced some of the most magnificent works in Kannada and poets such as Pampa, Ranna, Chavundaraya, Naga Chandra and others. The Haridasa literature or Sahitya had a direct bearing on Carnatic music and even the growth of Yakshagana and Vaishanava prose. A Vaishnava, Narayannappa of Gadag, wrote Kumara Bharata and he was called Kumara Vyasa by Vyasa Theertha. Another Vaishnava, Kumara Valmiki, wrote Torvi Ramayana. Both these authors were deeply influenced by the Haridasa movement.

The compositions of Purandara, Kanaka, Jaggantha Dasa, Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa and others was a harmonious mix of litearrture and lyricism and they became the new cornerstone of  Carnatic music.  

Some of the Dasas are:

Purandara Dsa (1480–1564)

Kanaka Dasa (1509–1607)

Vijaya Ddasa (1687–1755

Gopala Dasa (1721–1762).

Jagannatha Dasa (1727–1809)

The most famous of the Dasas and perhaps the most prolific is Purandara Dasa. His riches to rag story is too well known to repeat here. An ardent devotee of Vittala of  Pandrapur (now in Maharashtra), he was greatly influenced by Vyasa Theertha or Vyasa Raja, the preceptor of Krishna Deve Raya and Achuta Deve Raya of the Vijayanagar Kingdom.

His original name was Srinivasa Nayaka and he was given the name Purandara by Vyasa Theertha.

He has written hundreds of devaranamas and all his compositions are based on the Ramayana, Mahabharata or Bhagavatha Geeta.

The Purandara Mantapa which is built in the Tungabhadra river in Hampi was the place where he composed hundreds of songs. He composed Jaggadodharana after seeing the Ambegallu Krishna idol at the Apremaya Temple in Doddamalur which is near Chennapatna on the Bangalore-Mysore highway. Bhagyada Lakshmi Baaramma, his composition, has been made famous by Bheemsen Joshi. Innu Daya Barade, Yaare Rangana, Yaadava Ne Baa, Taarakka Bindige, Amma Nimma Mane Gallali, Bandhidella Barali, Dayamado Dayamado,  are some of his compositions.

Purandara is also called the father of Carnatic music. He also influence Hindustani music. Swamy Haridasa, the Guru of Tansen, was a disciple of Purandara.   

He not only sang in temples but also in the court of Krishna Deve Raya. He was also a notable personality who taught Devaranamas to students of Vijayanagar University of which Vyasa Theertha was the Chancellor. This University was headquartered in Hampi and it had 11,000 students.   

Vyasa Theertha, in one of his compostions, says “Dasarendere  Purandara Dasaraiha”

Kanaka Dasa was a contemporary of Purandara Dasa. His earlier name was Thimmapa Nayaka and he belonged to a family living in Kaginale.
He belonged to the shepherd community (Kurubas) and he is believed to have been born in Bada in north Karnataka. Purandara held him in high esteem and both were in the court of Krishna Deve Raya.
Kanaka Dasa too composed several songs. Once when he was denied entry to the Krishna temple in Udupi and the door of the Garba Gudi was closed on him, he sang so sorrowfully that Krishna turned and a hole appeared in the wall, enabling him to see Krishna. This hole exists even today and  is called Kanakana Kindi. Devotees to the temple have to see Krishna through this hole.
Some of his compositions are Nammama Sharade, Yallaru Madhuvudhu, Heggiddu Heggade, Nee Maayeyo. He wrote 240 Kirtanas, mundigas and Ugabhogas.  His five major works are Nalacharitre, Haribhaktisara,  Nrisimhastava,  Ramadhanyacharitre, a rare work on class struggle and Mohanatarangini..
In his last days, he lived in Tirupathi.
The next Dasa in importance is Vijaya Dasa (1687–1755). The second important development in Haridasa movement began with this Dasa. Born as Dasappa, it is believed that  Purandara Dasa appeared to him in a dream and wrote his ankita or kavyanama  ‘Vijaya Vitthala’, on his tongue.
The tradition of  Dasa Sahitya set by Vijaya Dasa was continued by Gopala Dasa, Prasanna Venkata dasa, Mahipathi Dasa and Jagannatha Dasa. The Harikathamrutasara of Jagannatha dasa is a major work in Dwaitha literature and it is being read, interpreted, discussed and written bout even today.
The advent of Raghavendra Swamy (1595 to 1671) and his miraculous powers gave a new meaning to Hari Dasas of the period. Jagannatha Dasa and Prasanna Venkata Dasa were highly influenced by Raghavendra Swamy. Several dasas visited Mantralaya, the abode of  Raghavendra Swamy, and sang his praises.
Some of the other Dasas who have enriched Kannada literature and contributed to the vast body of Haridasa Sahitya Mohana Dasa, Timmanna Dasa, Rama Dasa, Yogendrappa (Pranesha Vitthala), Karajagi Dasappa (Srida Vitthala), and Ananda Dasa.
It would be grossly unfair to say that only men contributed to Haridasa Sahitya. Women too were in the forefront  and poets and composers such as Helavanakatte Giriyamma, Harapanahalli Bhimavva and others who have made significant contributions.
The Haridasa movement was not confined to Karnataka only. It spread to north India under Chaitanya and to Gujarat (Vallabhacharya), Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Thereare two major forms of Dasa Sahitya- Dasa Kooata
Each Haridasa had his own pen name or Ankita Nama. Narahari Theertha wrote under his pen name  Narahari Raghupathi. The other  writers and their Ankita Nama are as follows: Sripadaraya: (Ranga Vitthala), Vyasatirtha  (Sri Krishna), Vadiraja Teertha (Hayavadana), Raghavendra ( Dheera Venu Gopala),  Purandara Dasa ( Purandara Vittala), Kanaka Dasa ( Adi Keshava),Vijaya Dasa  ( Vijaya Vittala) Gopaladasa (Gopala Vittala), Helevanakatte Giriyamma (Helevanakatte Ranga), Jagannatha Dasa ( Jagannatha Vittala), Mahipathi Dasa (Mahipathi), Prasanna Venkatadasa (Prasanna Venkata), Venugopala Dasa ( Venugopala Vittala), Mohana Dasa ( Mohana Vittala).
 The mention of  the word (not the movement ) Haridasa  or Vaishnava can be traced during the period of the Gangas and Kadambas. The records of these two dynasties speak of them as such.
One of the earliest Kannada work, Bhaktivijaya speaks of a Dasa named Achalananda Dasa.
Though not much is known of this Dasa, he is believed to have been a follower of Lord  Narasimha. He lived in the ninth century during the time of the Rashtrakutas. He was a native of a small village near Bangalore and lived most of his life in Turvekere.
He once went to Pandrapur where he sang the glories of Vishnu. He was then named as  Narasimha Dasa.
Another earlier Haridasa was Pundalika. He is mentioned as a poet in the time of Chalukya King Someshwara. He is mentioned in an inscription dated 1237.
(This is the first article in the series on Haridasas and Haridasa literature. I  will write separate articles on the Haridasas and their contribution as otherwise the article would be too long.)