Bhaktamal | Balarama Dasa
Real Name: Krupasiddha Balarama Dasa
Guru: Hrdayananda
Aradhya: Bhagwan Jagannath
Birth: 1472
Place of Birth: Puri, Odisha, India
Died - 1556
Marital Status: Unmarried
Father: Somanatha Mahapatra
Mother: Jamuna Debi
Famous: Poet, Saint
Notable works - Jagamohana Ramayana,
Laxmi PuranaBalarama Dasa (c. 1472–1540) was one of the greatest saint-poets of Odisha and the eldest among the revered Panchasakha (Five Friends) of Odia literature. He played a pivotal role in spreading the Bhakti movement by making sacred Hindu scriptures accessible to ordinary people through the Odia language. Read about
Bhakta Salabega.
He is a devoted follower of Lord Jagannath, Balarama Dasa dedicated his life to devotion, literature, and spiritual reform. His literary contributions transformed Odia devotional literature.
Balarama Dasa’s Contribution to Society
❀ Made sacred scriptures understandable for common people by writing in Odia instead of Sanskrit.
❀ Opposed caste discrimination and ritual-based exclusivity.
❀ Encouraged devotion (Bhakti) over social status and birth.
❀ Helped establish Odia as a major literary language.
He wrote Lakshmi Purana, The story emphasizes that Goddess Lakshmi blesses sincere devotion regardless of caste or social position.