View source for Surdas

{{Short description|Indian writer, poet and singer (1483-1563)}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| religion           = [[Hinduism]]
| name               = Surdas
| image              = Surdas.jpg
| alt                = Surdas
| caption            = A commemorative postage stamp on Surdas issued by India Post on 1 October 1952
| birth_date         = {{circa|1483}}
| birth_place        = Gram Sihi, [[Faridabad]], [[Delhi Sultanate]]
| death_date         = {{circa|1563}}
| death_place        = [[Braj]] Parsauli, [[Mughal Empire]]
| known_for          = Influencing the [[Bhakti movements]], [[Sant Mat]],
| literary_works     = ''Sur Sagar'', ''Sur Saravali'', ''Sahitya Lahari''
| philosophy         = [[Bhakti]]
| father             = Ramdas Saraswat<ref name="knowledgeocean.in">{{Cite web|url=https://knowledgeocean.in/biography-of-surdas-in-hindi-jivan-parichay-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%AF/3290/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921003713/https://knowledgeocean.in/biography-of-surdas-in-hindi-jivan-parichay-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%AF/3290/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=21 September 2020|title = सूरदास का जीवन परिचय - Biography of Surdas in Hindi Jivan Parichay| date=16 September 2020 }}</ref>
| mother             = Jamunadas<ref name="knowledgeocean.in"/>
}}
'''Surdas''' was a 16th-century blind [[Hindu]] devotional [[poet]] and [[singing|singer]], who was known for his works written in praise of [[Krishna]].<ref name=Klaustermaier>{{cite book|author=Klaus K. Klostermaier|title=A Survey of Hinduism: Third Edition| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_6-JbUiHB4C&pg=PA215| date=2007-07-05| publisher=SUNY Press| isbn=978-0-7914-7082-4|page=215}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-06-17 |title=Surdas Biography - Surdas Poems - Life History in English |url=https://indiathedestiny.com/icons/poets-writers/surdas-biography/ |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=India the Destiny |language=en-US |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626144617/https://indiathedestiny.com/icons/poets-writers/surdas-biography/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Sūrdās's biography is most often told through the lens of the [[Vallabha Sampradaya|Vallabha Sampradāya]] aka the [[Pushtimarg|Puṣṭimārga]]. The Puṣṭimārga regards Sūrdās as an initiated disciple of [[Vallabha]], and his hagiography is told in the ''[[Pushtimarg#Texts|Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā]]'' by Gokulnāth and Harirāy. Sūrdās' poems, along with those of other Aṣṭachāp poets, form a central part of Puṣṭimārga liturgical singing-worship. However modern scholars consider the connection between Sūrdās and Vallabha and his sect to be ahistorical.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Hawley |first=John Stratton |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online |publisher=Brill |year=2018 |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. |chapter=Sūrdās |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Helene |editor-last3=Malinar |editor-first3=Angelika |editor-last4=Narayanan |editor-first4=Vasudha}}</ref>

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.

==Life and work ==

''[[Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature|The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature]]'' suggests a birth year of 1258 into a Brahmin family of Uttar Pradesh.''<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Datta |first=Amaresh |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo, Volume 1 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=1987 |isbn=9788126018031 |pages=79 |quote=}}</ref>'' [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] states that his lifespan is "traditionally" given as 1483-1563.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sūrdās {{!}} 15th Century Indian Poet & Bhakti Movement Devotee {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Surdas |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Sources state he was either a [[Saraswat Brahmin|Sārasvata Brāhmaṇa]], a [[Jat caste|Jāṭa]], or a [[Dharhi|Ḍhāṛhī]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barz |first=Richard |title=The Bhakti Sect of Vallabhācārya |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |year=1992 |pages=106}}</ref>

Surdas, whose name translates to "servant of the sun", is celebrated as the pinnacle of poetic artistry in [[Braj Bhasha|Braj bhasha]]. This language is linked to the [[Braj]] region, where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. The hagiographer [[Nabha Dass]], in his [[Bhaktamal]], praised Surdas for his poetic skill, especially in depicting "Hari's playful acts", a reference to Krishna's divine activities. Surdas also composed poems about Ram and Sita but primarily focused on Krishna's life and deeds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sūradāsa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2iJ9oAEACAAJ |title=Sur's Ocean: Poems from the Early Tradition |date=2015 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-42777-8 |pages=vii-xi |language=en}}</ref>

===Poetry ===
[[File:Folios of a manuscript of the 'Nam Daman' of Surdas, by Babullah for Dilir Khan, copied in 1698.jpg|thumb|Folios of a manuscript of the 'Nam Daman' of Surdas, by Babullah for Dilir Khan, copied in 1698]]
Surdas's poetry was written in a dialect of [[Hindi]] called [[Braj Bhasha]], until then considered to be a very plebeian language, as the prevalent literary languages were either [[Persian language|Persian]] or [[Sanskrit]].  His work raised the status of the Braj Bhasha from a crude language to that of a literary one.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Surdas (Sur Das, Soordas) |url=https://chandrakantha.com/biodata/surdas.html |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=chandrakantha.com |language=en}}</ref> 

Surdas's poems are collectively known as the ''Sursagar'' or "Ocean of Sur" due to a large volume of poems attributed to his name. The traditional format of the Sursagar is divided into twelve parts, similar to the Hindu scripture, the ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]''. Just as the ''Bhagavata Purana'' describes the life and actions of [[Krishna]], the Sursagar also takes on a similar feat with a majority of its poems dedicated to Krishna. Many of the poems found in Sursagar are ''pads,'' containing six to ten rhymed verses. Other subject matter covered include [[Rama]] and [[Sita]], [[Vishnu]], [[Shiva]], heroes within Hinduism like [[Gajendra Moksha|Gajendra]] and [[Mahabali|King Bali]], and the poet's spiritual struggles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bryant |first=Edwin Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0z02cZe8PU8C&q=bryant+edwin+krishna+a+source+book |title=Krishna: A Sourcebook |date=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-803400-1 |pages=224 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lochtefeld |first=James G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GnmPzgEACAAJ |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z |date=2002 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-0-8239-3180-4 |pages=673–674 |language=en}}</ref> 

==Philosophy==
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aṣṭachāp {{!}} Indian Poetry, Devotional Verse, Sanskrit {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Astachap |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Coverage==
Several films have been made about the poet's life. These include:<ref name="RajadhyakshaWillemen1999">{{cite book|last1=Rajadhyaksha|first1=Ashish|last2=Willemen|first2=Paul|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofi0000raja|url-access=registration|access-date=12 August 2012|year=1999|publisher=British Film Institute|isbn=9780851706696}}</ref> ''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 [[Vilwamangalam Swamiyar|Bilwamangala]] (identified with Surdas) and Chintamani has also been adapted several times in Indian cinema. These films include:<ref name="RajadhyakshaWillemen1999"/> ''[[Bilwamangal]]'' or ''Bhagat Soordas'' (1919) by Rustomji Dhotiwala, ''Bilwamangal'' (1932), [[Chintamani (1933 film)|''Chintamani'']] (1933) by Kallakuri Sadasiva Rao, [[Chintamani (1937 film)|''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 film)|''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.

==See also==
* [[Main Naahin Maakhan Khaayo]]
* [[Sant Mat]]
* [[Bhajan]]
* [[Sant Surdas (Sihi) metro station]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|nm11509579}}

{{Hindudharma}}
{{Sikhism}}
{{Writers of Guru Granth Sahib}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hindu poets]]
[[Category:Sant Mat]]
[[Category:16th-century Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:Vaishnava saints]]
[[Category:Hindi-language poets]]
[[Category:Hindu revivalists]]
[[Category:Sikh Bhagats]]
[[Category:Indian men centenarians]]
[[Category:Bhakti movement]]
[[Category:15th-century Indian scholars]]
[[Category:15th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Poets from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scholars from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:1483 births]]
[[Category:1563 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian blind poets]]