Kshetrajna, popularly known as the father of the modern Padam (love songs), was born in 1595 in Movva of
Krishna District in
Andhra Pradesh. A prolific composer of Carnatic music and poet, Kshetrajna is the author of about 4,500 songs. He has made his compositions in over 40 ragas including Khamboji, Bhairavi, Kalyani, Todi, Saveri and Khande. Most of his lyrics portray the sweet pain of separation.
Originally Varadayya, Kshetrajna’s works are popularly employed in abhinaya and natya. A scholar in
Telugu and Sanskrit, he often used conversational expressions in his compositions.
