Surdas (Sanskrit: सूरदास, romanized: Sūradāsa) was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of the deity Krishna.[2] He was a Vaishnava devotee of Krishna, and he was also a revered poet and singer. His compositions captured his devotion towards Krishna. Most of his poems were written in the Braj language, while some were also written in other dialects of medieval Hindi, like Awadhi.[3]
Quick Facts Personal, Born ...
Surdas |
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A commemorative postage stamp on Surdas issued by India Post on 1st October 1952 |
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Born | uncertain, somewhere between 1478 and 1483
Gram Sihi, Faridabad, Haryana (but some people believe that he was from Runkata or Renuka |
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Died | uncertain, somewhere between 1579 and 1584
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Religion | Hinduism |
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Parents | - Ramdas Saraswat[1] (father)
- Jamunadas[1] (mother)
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Known for | Influencing the Bhakti movements, Sant Mat, Hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib |
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Philosophy | Bhakti |
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Literary works | Sur Sagar, Sur Saravali, Sahitya Lahari |
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There are many theories about Surdas, but he is said to have been blind from birth. During his time, lived another saint by the name of Vallabha. Vallabha was the founder of the Pushtimarg Sampradaya, and his successor, Vitthalanatha, had selected eight poets who would help him to further spread the glory of Krishna, by composing works of music. These eight poets were known as the "Astachap", and Surdas is believed to be one of the foremost among them due to his devotion and poetic talent.[4]
The book Sur Sagar (Sur's Ocean) is traditionally attributed to Surdas. However, many of the poems in the book seem to be written by later poets in Sur's name. The Sur Sagar in its present form focuses on descriptions of Krishna as the lovely child of Gokul and Vraj, written from the gopis' perspective.
Eight disciples of Vallabha Acharya are called the Aṣṭachāp, (Eight seals in Hindi), named after the oral signature chap written at the conclusion of literary works. Sur is considered to be the foremost among them.[8]
Several films have been made about the poet's life. These include:[9] Surdas (1939) by Krishna Dev Mehra, Bhakta Surdas (1942) by Chaturbhuj Doshi, Sant Surdas (1975) by Ravindra Dave, Chintamani Surdas (1988) by Ram Pahwa.
The legend of the blind poet Bilwamangala (identified with Surdas) and Chintamani has also been adapted several times in Indian cinema. These films include:[9] Bilwamangal or Bhagat Soordas (1919) by Rustomji Dhotiwala, Bilwamangal (1932), Chintamani (1933) by Kallakuri Sadasiva Rao, Chintamani (1937) by Y. V. Rao, Bhakta Bilwamangal (1948) by Shanti Kumar, Bilwamangal (1954) by D. N. Madhok, Bhakta Bilwamangal (1954) by Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji, Chintamani (1956) by P. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Chintamani (1957) by M.N. Basavarajaiah, Chilamboli (1963) by G. K. Ramu, Bilwamangal (1976) by Gobinda Roy, Vilvamangal Ki Pratigya (1996) by Sanjay Virmani.
Datta, Amaresh (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo, Volume 1. Sahitya Akademi. p. 79. ISBN 9788126018031. Barz, Richard (1992). The Bhakti Sect of Vallabhācārya. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 106.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica (18 June 2009). "Aṣṭachāp | Hindi poets". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 18 January 2018.