Poerbatjaraka was born as Lesya on 1 January 1884 in Surakarta, the capital of Surakarta Sunanate, a principality which was then part of the Dutch East Indies.[2] He was the eldest son of Raden Tumenggung Purbadipura, a courtier to the Sunan (monarch) Pakubuwana X.[1] Purbadipura was close to the monarch, and took on multiple roles, including those comparable to a European master of the robes, a barber, a divination doctor, and a composer.[1]