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The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India.B. N. Krishnamurti Sharma (2025). 9788120815759, Motilal Banarsidass (2008 Reprint). ISBN 9788120815759 Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India in general and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.Sharma (1961), p. 514
This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas ( lit "servants of Lord Hari") and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara Empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya ( Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya ( lit "literature of the dāsas").
Prominent Hindu philosophers, poets and scholars such as Sripadaraya, Vyasathirtha, Vadirajatirtha, Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa played an important role during this time.Kamath (2001), p. 155 Though the movement found its roots in the Kannada country and later spread to other parts of South India, it was a net result of earlier devotional movements such as the Veerashaiva movement (of Vachana in Kannada) of northern Karnataka led by Basavanna (12th century) and the Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu (10th century).Krishna Rao M.V. Dr. in Later, Vallabhacharya in Gujarat and Guru Chaitanya were influenced by the teachings of Madhvacharya. Chaitanya's devotees started the International Society for Krishna Consciousness - known colloquially as the Hare Krishna Movement.Kamath (2001), p. 156
The Haridasas were saints, some of whom were wandering bards, and considered themselves as slaves of their supreme lord - Hari. While the movement was mainly heralded by the Brahmins, it was a devotional one whose ideals and thoughts pervaded and received noteworthy contributions from all sections of society.According to some accounts, Kanaka Dasa came from a family of hunters ( beda) and from other accounts, from a family of Shepherds ( kuruba) (Sastri 1955, p. 365) The Haridasa movement can be considered as a part of a larger Bhakti movement whose devotional inspiration to the masses lasted over a millennium. The Haridasa movement made significant contribution to Kannada devotional literature.Sastri (1955), p. 381
The Haridasas' who propagated the philosophy of Madhvacharya belonged to two groups; the Dasakuta, those who conveyed the philosophy of Madhvacharya in simple and lucid Kannada to the masses, and the Vyasakuta, those who were required to be proficient in the Vedas, and other Darshana (scriptures). During this period, this movement became a strong Spirituality force which helped a resurgence of a strong Hindu sentiment in Southern India, when Northern India was already under Muslim rule. The Haridasas' found state patronage in the Vijayanagara Empire which at its peak, ruled over the entire South India.Kamath (2001), p178 Vyasatirtha was intimately associated with the empire and was considered the family guru by King Krishnadevaraya.Krishnadevaraya was highly devoted to Vyasatirtha (Kamath 2001), p178)Vyasatirtha was highly honoured by King Krishnadevaraya (Nilakanta Sastri 1955, p324)
Haridasas' belonged to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism and worshipped Vitthala, a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu and all forms of Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu). The Vittalanatha temple at on the bank of Bhima River in present-day Maharashtra, the Vittala Swami temples at Hampi in Karnataka and the Srinivasa temple on Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh, Raghavendra Swamy Mutt in Mantralaya, Lord Shri Krishna in Udupi, Shri ChennaKeshava Temple in Belur, and almost all ancient Vaishnavism temples are considered the pivotal and important in the Haridasa context.
Famous Saints & Haridasas from the Madhvacharya order during the Vijayanagar empire period were:
The Haridasa movement gained further impetus in the 17th and 18th centuries in and around Raichur District. Some of the noted saints from this era were Guru Raghavendra, Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Prasanna Venkata Dasa, Pranesha Dasa, Venugopala Dasa also known as Panganama Timmanna Dasa, Mahipathi Dasa, Mohanna Dasa, Helevanakatte Giriamma and Harapanhalli Bhimavva. The history of the Haridasa movement from the 13th century to the present day is the history of spreading Bhakti (devotion to Hari or Vishnu) to the common man and in that purpose contributed immensely to Kannada literature and to the development of Kannada language. Both the Haridasa and Veerashaiva movements pervade the length and breadth of Karnataka and exert ennobling influences upon the neighboring provinces of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
The compositions can be broadly classified under one of the following three types:
| Naraharitirtha | 1243-1333 | Narahari Raghupathi | |
| Sripadaraja | 1404-1502 | Ranga Vitthala | |
| Vyasatirtha | 1460-1539 | Sri Krishna | |
| Vadirajatirtha | 1480-1600 | Hayavadana | |
| Raghavendratirtha | 1595-1671 | Dheera Venugopala | |
| Purandara Dasa | 1484-1564 | Purandara Vittala | |
| Kanaka Dasa | 1508-1606 | Kaginele Adikeshava | |
| Vijaya Dasa | 1682-1755 | Vijaya Vittala | |
| Gopala Dasa | 1722-1762 | Gopala Vittala | |
| Panganama Timmanna Dasa | 1722-1765 | Venugopala Vittala | |
| Helevanakatte Giriyamma | 18th Century | Helevanakatte Ranga | |
| Jagannatha Dasa | 1727-1809 | Jagannatha Vittala | |
| Mahipathidasa | 1611-1681 | Mahipathi | |
| Prasanna Venkatadasa | 1680-1752 | Prasanna Venkata | |
| Mohanadasa | 1728-1751 | Mohana Vittala | |
| Nekkara Krishnadasa | 18th Century | Varaha Thimmappa | |
| Jayesha Vittala Dasa | 1850-1932 | Jayesha Vittala |
Though these compositions usually adhere to the carnatic style of music, some of these compositions have also been sung in the Hindustani music style by musicians such as Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal.
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