(early 18th century) Author of the Bhaktirasa bodhini ("Awakening the Delight in Devotion"), a commentary on Nabhadas' Bhaktamal.
Nabhadas included short biographies of about two hundred
current bhakti (devotional) leaders in his literature.
These unique biographies are notable for being devoid of
extraordinary or miraculous happenings, focusing instead on the devotee's
(bhakta) personal traits, which may be used as a model for others.
Priyadas expands on each of the devotees named by Nabhadas
in his commentary, and often details occurrences that Nabhadas does not
include.
Nabhadas certainly got his material from the biographer
Anantadas' manuscripts, at least in the instance of the poet-saint Ravidas, but
his sources in many other cases are unclear.
Priyadas' tales are full of marvels and wonders, and the
frequency of such occurrences, along with his chronological distance from his
subjects, makes him a less trustworthy source for the lives of these followers.
