THE EOYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. - Zenodo

JOURNALOP

THE EOYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

ART. XI.—Early Kannada Authors. By LEWIS RICE,Director of Public Instruction, Bangalore.

THAT an extensive old literature exists in the Kannada (orso-called Canarese) language is admitted by more than oneeminent writer on Oriental subjects, but of the nature andhistory of that literature little or nothing is known, beyondthe fact that it was of Jaina origin. The sectarian titlesof many of the works, taken as being a sufficient key to theirprobable contents, may perhaps have stopped inquirers—ifany there have been—from going further. Following upthe clue obtained from the writings of Pampa,1 further re-searches have enabled me to throw some light on this hithertovirtually unexplored subject.

A knowledge of Sakkada, as Sanskrit was called in Kan-nada—considered to be a tadbhava formed from the wordSamskrita—was the necessary mark of a scholar, but, by thebest poets, it was used apart from the native tongue. NayaSena lays down the just canon in the following lines, and hemay be admitted as a high authority, for he is speciallyquoted by Naga Yarmma, and that in a sutra of hisgrammar.

Posa-Kannadadim vyava |rnnisuvem sat-kritiyan endu Kannadamam chin |tisi kudalarad akkata |misukada Sakkadaman ikkuv avanum kaviye ||Sakkadamam pelvare nere |Sakkadamam pfijge Buddha Kannadadolu tan |d ikku-ud i Sakkadangala |takkude berasalke ghritamumam tailamumam ||

1 See article on "The Poet Pampa," in the Journ. E.A.S. Jan. 1882.

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296 EARLY KANNADA ATTTHOKS.

" I s he a poet, who, saying I will write a good poem in HosaKannada, being unable to think of Kannada words, uses incon-gruous Sanskrit that will not squeeze in ? If he write Sanskrit,let him write entirely in Sanskrit: but to bring these Sanskritismsand thrust them into pure Kannada—is it possible to mix ghiand oil?"

Naga Yarmma too, in an example quoted also by KesiRaja, says:—

Pale-Gannadada padangole |kole-Sakkadamam tagulohi jan edam uttum |melasam god ant ire pe |IT ali-gavigaja kavite budharan erdeg olisugume ||

" If into Hale Kannada verses they stick in corrupt Sanskrit,which a clever deaf man would discern—as if pepper were likewheat—can the poetry of such ruination poets please the heartof the wise?"

So also Ponna, whose real name was Savana, prides himselfon the ability to write in both Sakkada and Kannada, whencehis cognomen of Ubhaya-ltavi-chakravarUi.

Yerad edege vappanam ma,chcharisuvanum nudige Sakkadam Kannadam em |b eradum kaviteya balmige |beral ettidan ileyol i Kurulgala Savanam ||

"Lest any should bear malice for his precision in language oftwo kinds, by his ability in both Sakkada and Kannada poetry,he caused the ringer to be raised (indicating him as number one,without a second) throughout the world this Kurulgala Savana."

Likewise Aggala calls himself Ubhaya-havitd-visdradan,skilled in both kinds of poetry.

In those old inscriptions, moreover, which display themost literary skill, separate verses in Sanskrit and in Kan-nada are interspersed with, one another according to theopportunities afforded by the theme, in such a way asgreatly to heighten the general effect.

I t will be observed that the poets of this early period,though writing in what is to us Hale Kannada or OldCanarese, call the language they use Hosa Kannada, mean-ing New Canarese, the present current form, while they



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refer to a Hale lyannada as existing in their day.1 Wehave thus to distinguish three stages of the language—Purvada Hale Kannada, the former or Primitive OldCanarese,8 Hale Kannada or Old Canarese, and Hosa Kan-nada, the new or modern Canarese, now current. Speakingin a very general way, the first period may be said toterminate about the end of the seventh century; the secondextends from the eighth to the fourteenth century; when,the third commences. Or, the final establishment of theChalukya and Vijayanagar empires respectively correspondwith the rise of Hale Kannada and Hosa Kannada. Butthese dates are not to be taken absolutely, and the periodsin different parts of the Kannada region may be found tooverlap or run into one another. The limits above assigned,however, seem also borne out by the characters used ininscriptions, which indicate a marked transition about theninth and fifteenth centuries respectively in the shape ofthose letters which have undergone change.

It would also appear that the chief impulse under whichthe language attracted the special attention of scholars to itssystematic study and culture was coincident with the breakup of the Ganga power that resulted from the capture ofTalakadu by the Cholas, who thence extended their conqueststill possessed of Vengi, whence several of the most prominentKannada authors derive their origin. The centre of literaryactivity, too, was apparently the Ganga principality formedunder Chalukya supremacy, lying along the Tungabhadra toits union with the Krishna, of which Kurugod, still bearingthat name, and Puligere or Huligere, the modern Laksh-mesvar, were the chief cities, and embracing the presentDharvad and Bellary districts as far as Karnul.

The earliest notices that have come to light of local author-ship are contained in the inscriptions of the Ganga kings,

• who ruled over the south of the Mysore country and adjacent1 The different forms of these names are Pale Kannada or, by euphony, Pale

Gannada, Hale Kannada or Hale Gannada, and Posa Kannada or Posa Gannada,Hosa Kannada or Hosa Gannada.

2 AYilks describes Puryada Hale Kannada as the language of Banavasi, theancient capital of the Kadamba Kings.



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298 EARLY KANNADA AUTHORS.

regions from about the end of the second century to theend of the ninth. From this source we get the followingparticulars:

c. A.D. 240. MADHAVA RAJA wrote a treatise on the law ofadoption {dattaka-sutra-vritteh -praneta, dattaka-sutra-vyakhya-praneta).

c. 470. AVINITA wrote a commentary on 15 cantos of theKirAtdrjunlya (Kir&t&rjuniya -panchadaka - sargga - tikakaro).This celebrated poem by Bharavi is in 18 cantos, and insupport of the above date there is independent testimony thathe was already famous in the sixth century.

Next, in an inscription of the Chalukya kings, we havemention of

634. RAVIKIRTTI, a poet whose fame equalled that ofKalidasa and Bharavi (kavitA&rita-Kalid&sa-Bh&ravi-kirttih).

Resorting now to the evidence derived from literature, weglean the following information. Where actual or approxi-mate dates are given, it is believed that they may be reliedon, but the time and place of those authors to whom no datesare assigned may require readjustment as our knowledge ofthe subject increases. A special difficulty in these investiga-tions has arisen from the variety of names which one authorassumes or by which he was known.

? 650. SAMAXTA BHADRA, named together with Kavipari-meshti and Pujyapada, invariably in this order, by Pampa,Ponna, Naya Sena, and several other old poets, as formingthe earliest and most distinguished trio among the authorswho preceded them. A Chalukya inscription of the eleventhcentury speaks of Samanta Bhadra as famous for his practicalskill. The following works are ascribed to him:—Devagama-stotra, Ny&ya-nischaya-v&rttiMlankdra, Ukty&nusasana, Bha-sha-matyari, Chintamani-tippani, Ashtamhasra-tippani.

? 670. KAVIPARIMESHTI, always, as above stated, mentionedbetween Samanta Bhadra and Pujyapada. The name is nodoubt a nom de plume, and we shall find that the assumptionof such names became a regular fashion among poets, andwas carried to extravagant lengths. His real name has notbeen discovered, nor any account of his works.



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c. 690. PUJYAPADA is specially known for his skill insabda sastra, or as a grammarian; but he is referred to asa poet along with the two preceding, as aboye described.A Chalukya inscription records a grant made in A.D. 729 to apandit who had been his house-disciple. On this groundPujyapada may be placed at the end of the seventh century.The following works are attributed to him: — Jainendra-nyasa, P&nini-sabddvatara, Karika-vritti, Surasa- sangraha,Sarvv&rltha-siddhi.

788. AKALANKA, Akalahka Chandra, is mentioned byPampa, Ponna, and others, and is named in an old in-scription as excelling in tarka sastra. According to Wilson,he was a Jain from Srarana Belgola, who, at the date given,disputed with the Buddhists in the presence of Hemasitala,king of Kafichi, and defeating them, procured their banish-ment to Kandy in Ceylon. Ponna styles him the jaya-vadi,and Nagachandra states that " at the radiance of the moon-light of his speech the Digambara chakora rejoiced, andthe lotus of opponent speakers shut up."1 Kamalabhava,describing the effect of his eloquence, says Mara-mata-vadi-mano-ndyanam mugidudu. The following are said to beworks by him:—Devagama-stotra-nyasa, Pramana-ratna-pradlpa. •

VIDYANANDA, Vddi Vidyananda, is mentioned byNaya Sena. His period is not known. The following worksbear his name : S'' lokavarttikalahkara, Apta-mimamsa-nyasa.

941. PAMPA, Hampa, Kavitdgundrnava, Guru Hampa,Pur&na Kavi, Sukavijanamanomanasottamsa Hamsa, Sujanot-tamsa Hamsa Raja. By these and other names is this dis-tinguished poet referred to, with whose publications a greatimpulse seems to have been given to the study of Kannada.As seen in my former account of him, he was born in A.D. 902,and was descended from a Brahman family of the Vengicountry. But his father, from religious conviction, became

1 Akalanka-chandra vak-chan |drikeyin dharalise Digambara-s'ri-bhavya |prakara-chakoram nalidudu |inukulitay Syt anyavadi-vadanSmbhojam ||



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a Jaina. Pampa wrote in what he calls " the pith of theKannada of Puligere " (Puligereya tirula Kannadadol), underthe patronage of Ari Kesari, a prince of the Chalukyafamily, ruling over a 1\ lakh country called Jola. Forhis works the king rewarded him with a sdsana-agra-hdram in Dharma-uram,1 which he named Saram. His firstwork was the Adi Purdna, which he completed in A.D. 941in three months. But his next and most celebrated work wasthe Pampa Bharata or Vikram&rjuna-vijaya, which he wrotethe same year in six months. There are also said to be byhim Laghu Purdna, Pdrsvandtha Purdna, Paramdgama.

ASAGA is named by Ponna and Kesi Raja, the formerof whom claims to be a hundredfold better as a Kannada poet{Kannada-kaviteyolAsagangam nurmmadi). Asaga and Agasadenote a washerman. There is said to be a Varddhamdna-svdmi-kdvya by him.

c. 950. JINACHANDRA is mentioned by Ponna as a contempo-rary and the author of Pujyapdda-chanta. He is describedas the equal of Akalanka and a new Samanta Bhadra.

c. 950. PONNA, Honna, Ponniga, Ponnimayya, Kavi-chakra-vartti, JJbhaya-kavi-chakravartti, ? S'dnti-varmmd. Such arethe names by which he is referred to in literature, but hisreal name was Savana, Kurulgala Savana, Sarvva Deva,? Sarvva-varmmd, as given by himself in the S'dnti Purdna.From this and from Ranna's work the following particularshave been obtained regarding him. In Pangunuru, a townof the Kamme desa,2 in the Vengi mandala, dwelt a Brahmannamed Nagamayya, of the Kaundinya gotra. " In his heartwas born the Jina mata," that is, he became a Jain. His

1 If this be modern Dharmavaram in the Bellary district, it would indicate thedirection in which the J61a territory lay. General Cunningham, too, in attempt-ing to allocate the kingdom of this name mentioned by Hwen Tsang, has pointedout the existence of an old Jora near Karnul.

2 There is a large class of Smarta and Madhva Brahmans in Mysore calledKamme, but they seem to have no knowledge of the origin of their name. Theyall speak Kannada, except a few who use Telugu. The Kannada Kamme arefound chiefly in the eastern division; the Xllcha or Urcha Kamme in the southand east; the Babburu Kamme in the south and west.

Pangunur might be the modern Punganur, capital of a Zamtndari of the samename in North Arcot, just over the eastern border of Mysore; but this wouldbring the limits of Vengi farther south than is generally supposed.



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wife was Nagiyabbe, and they had two sons Mallapa andPonnamayya, who became distinguished as ministers andgenerals under the Chalukya king Tailapa (reigned A.D. 973—997). But before this, on the paroksha (or death) of theirguru Jinachandra Deva, these two, in commemoration of theevent, caused Ponniga to write a purana, which they publishedthrough all the world. This was the S'dnti Purana, whichits author styles the Pur&na-chudamani. For his superiorityover all other poets in command of both Kannada andSakkada, he received the title of Ubhaya-kavi-chakravarttifrom the king Krishna1 (perhaps, though this is uncertain,the Ratta or Rashtrakuta king also known as Nirupama andAkalavarsha, ruling in A.D. 945). In Kannada poetry he wasa hundredfold of Asaga, and in Sanskrit poetry a hundredfoldof Kalidasa of old, while in arrangement (rachana) he wasfourfold both combined.2 He denounces the poets of the dayas merely copying old works and proclaiming them as theirown. Though they professed to write in three languagesand a half,3 everything was stolen from others; but through-out the realm of letters (akkarada rajya) not a child couldsay this even in play of the Kavi-chakravartti.4 From theseunstinted praises and the notices of him in other poets, theremust be further writings by this author. But with regardto the Santi Purana, it appears that on the death of Mallapa,his daughter Attiyabbe, in commemoration of the event, and

1 Bhuvanada Kannada Sakkada |kavigal sale sale sole Savanang ittam |savivekam Ubhaya-kavi-cha |kravartti-vegaram nijShitoshnam Krishnam ||

2 Kannada-kaviteyol Asagan |gan nurmmadi-rekheg-aggalam Sakkadodol |munulla Kalidasangam nurmma |di nalmadi rachaneyol Kurulgala Savanam ||

s The reference probably is to the three and a half languages from which, ac-cording to Naga Varmma', all the other languages of the fifty-six countries ofIndia are derived, namely, Samskrita, Pr&krita, Apabhrams'a and Pais'achika.

4 Yeseyade puldu ketta pale-gabbaman avagam emmav endu ba |jisi perargg ittud allade bahu-s'rutam embinam ekkalavanam |posayipa kammayippa samakattura binnanam ill adakke ran |lisay erdegollav igadina kabbiga-vandigaj ondavindigal ||Nodire pelva muru vare bMshegalam perar-atthamam perar [m&dida-desiyam perara-binnanamam perar-ojeyam tadam |maduva kalva kolva" khalar ikkema kabbiga-gallar endu kii |s adisal agad akkarada rajyadol t kavi-chakravarttiya ||



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that the work he had caused to be written might not be lostto the world, had a thousand copies made at her own expense.Mallapa for his filial piety had been called ammana-bhakta,and she by this act perpetuated in the family the name oftande-bhakta.

CHAMUNDA RAYA, author of the Ch&munda-raya-purdna. Ranna's patron bore this name, but whether he wasthe same person is not known.

983. RANNA, Kavi Ratna, Abhinava Kmi-chakravartti, isnamed by Nagachandra and Mangarasa. He was the authorof the Ajita Tirthakara Purana, in which he gives manyparticulars regarding himself and Ponna, who was a genera-tion before him. Ranna was of the Balegara kula, that ofthe bangle-sellers, and was born in the year Saumya (A.D. 949)in Muduvalalu, a village of the Jambu-khandi Seventy, inthe Belugare Five Hundred. This Belugare- (or Belugale)uad was to the north of a stream flowing into the " bigriver" at Arekegatta, to the south of Taddavadi (mostlikely the reference is to Mudhol and the Jamkhandi jaghirin the Belgaum district, where the Gutparba flows to theKrishna). His mother was Abbalabbe, his father Jana-vallabhendra, and he had three elder brothers. His guruwas Ajitasenacbarya, and his lord was Chaiinda Raya. Hiswives were Jakki and Santi, by whom he had a son Rayaand a daughter Attiyabbe.

The circumstances under which his work was writtenmay be thus summarized. Of Mallapa and Ponnimayya(previously mentioned in the account of Ponna), the latterwas treacherously attacked by Gomindira; but, without somuch as disturbing the scarf he wore, he smote the invaderand put an end to his pride. The victor then retired tothe banks of the Kave'rl, and there went to Sura-loka. Thislooks as if he must have been seriously wounded. Mallapa,on the other hand, " Apratima Malla, the protected by theChalukyas," lived to become a chief minister under AhavaMalla Deva (Satyasraya, who ruled A.D. 997-1008). He tookto wife Kabbe, the daughter of Nagiyabbe and Nagamayya(these are also the names of his own father and mother), and



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they had five sons and two daughters. The eldest son,Gunda, gained a victory over Gonara, and thus did creditto his father. The two daughters, Attiyabbe and Gunda-mabbe, were given in marriage to Naga Deva, the son ofDalla, a favourite minister of the king's ; and Attiyabbebore a sou called Paduvala Taila-Naga Deva, surnamed" Haivatsa Raja, Morata Malla, bee at the lotus-feet ofAhava Malla Deva," distinguished himself in the Komarawar (or war with the Komaras), rushing like a lion uponthese people of another faith {anya mata). The King, whowas a witness of his bravery, made him a chamvpati, andin a subsequent battle he defeated the army of Panchala ;and also, by command of Ballaha, pursued after Mallamafrom Karahata. Thus, having gained great glory, he wentto Sura-loka.

Then Gundamabbe, thinking within herself that the fateof a woman is either to follow her lord or to take Jina-dikshe,came to Attiyabbe, and with folded hands said, " You havea brave and distinguished son. You remain. I beg leaveto go with Naga Deva." Thus having besought her, sheembraced her husband and was consumed in his funeralfire.1 This, her faithfulness, is worthy of celebration, andher observance of the rite was a glory to the MahasatiGundamabbe. The Apsaras were filled with disappointmentto lose so handsome a man, and the pair were in nirvanaloka.

Attiyabbe then said to herself, " My younger sister inone moment passed through the fire to her lord. I, beingthe elder, must for many days consume in the fire of hard-ship and fasting." Thus fasting, the protection of heroffspring, and giving of charity preserved her alive, andshe acquired the fame that no one in the world was equalto the mother of Padavala Tailapa, the Nurmmadi Taila.She made 1500 Jina images of gold and jewels, and for

1 I am not aware that the practice of sail among the Jains has been noticedbefore, though religious suicide, sallekhana as it was called, was common enough,as shown in the inscriptions at S'ravana Bejgola I published in the IndianAntiquary, vol. ii. pp. 265, 322.



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each of them bells, shrines, golden lamps, splendid robes,and rich triumphal arches. Her son Padavala Taila, alsocalled Anniga Deva, was instructed in all wisdom by Nemi-chandra Muni, his disciple Kanurggana Tilaka, and thelearned Ayyanayya; and rose to be a commander of theEmperor's army.

It was by desire of Attiyabbe, whom he calls Dana-chin-tamanl, that Ranna wrote this poem, which he styles thePur ana-tilaka, his ambition being that it should endure aslong as the Adi Purana and the Santi Purana. As amongkings, Taila was a help to the independent emperor RanaJaya, so among poets was Kavi Ratna a help to poetry.Being an emperor in the empire of poetry, he receivedthe name of Kavi-chakravartti Ranna. Among numerousother praises of Pampa and of Ponniga, he says :—" Throughthe fortunate poet Pampa was the glory of the languagespread abroad, and shining with his qualities none aresuperior to Ubhaya-kavi-chakravartti and Abhinava Kavi-chakravartti. Among poets the two former are the mostmeritorious, the two latter the most successful; two ofthem only are fortunate—Kavitagunarnava and Kavi Ratna.The Adi Purana and the Ajita Purana being composed bythem, the flag of the Dvija-vamsa (Brahmans) and the flagof the Vaisyas were Pampa and Ratna. As Pampa andPonniga were honoured in the . . . Rajya,1 so was KaviRatna, the Ubhaya-kavi, in the Chanukya Rajya. Likethe accepted dictum of the Jainendra and the dictum ofthe Sabddnusdsana, being well versed in both grammars, werethe words of Kavi Ratna celebrated. The three histories hewrote were like the three jewels, namely, Parasurdma-charita,Chakresvara-charita, and Ajita-tirthesvara-charita." Thelatter concludes with the announcement that it was finishedin Saka 919, the year Vijaya.

c. 990. NEMICHANDKA, Kavirdja-Itunjara. The exact date

1 It is a great disappointment that I cannot supply this name, which it wouldhave heen of the highest interest to clearly know. The word in the MS. occursat the end of a leaf, and is unfortunately broken off. Every endeavour to getanother copy has been unsuccessful.



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EAELY KANNADA AUTHORS. 305

of this author is not known, but he is probably to be identifiedwith the tutor of Taila, mentioned above by Ranna. Man-garasa calls him Angika Nemi, and mentions his poem—theLUavati, a Sringdra K&vya. The poetry is of a high order,but the work fully maintains the profession of its eroticcharacter. The author praises Samanta Bhadra, Akalanka,Pujyapada1 and Ranna. The hero and the heroine of hisromance are prince Kandarpa Deva and the princess Lllavati.The former belonged to Jayantipura, an old name of Bana-vasi.

GAJANKUSA, named by Naya Sena, and Gajaga, namedby Kesi Raja, may be the same.

1060-88. BILHANA was vidyapati at Kalyana to theChalukya king Vikrama, who reigned A.D. 1076-1127. Hewrote the Vikramanka Deva Charita or Vikramanka Kdvya?a poem recounting the adventures of his patron, finishedabout A.D. 1085. The following are also said to be worksof this author: PanchdsikhA, Rdmacharita or Rdmastuti, and? Alankdrasdstra.

GUNABHADRA is mentioned by Naga Varmma. Hewas the author of Uttara Pwdna.

c. 1070. GUNACHANDRA is mentioned by Naya Sena, whosays that his feet were worshipped by the King BhuvanaikaMalla (reigned A.D. 1069-1076). The works said to be hisare, Parsvdbhyudaya and Maghanandihvara.

GUNANANDI referred to by Kesi Raja may be thesame as one of the preceding.

HARIPALA is quoted by Naga Varmma and Bhatta-kalanka. Nothing more is known of him.

c. 1070. GTJNA VARMMA, is praised by Naya Sena; NagaVarmma styles him Bhuvanaika Vira, a name befitting awarrior rather than a poet; Kesi Raja describes him as theauthor of a Harivamsa. The title Bhuvanaika Vira seems toidentify him with TJdaydditya (also the name of an author),the Ganga prince who was the chief minister and a successful

1 This is the only instance in which Kaviparimeshti is not named betweenSamanta Bhadra and Pujyapada.

1 Published at Bombay.



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general under the Chalukya king Bhuvanaika Malla (A.D.1069-1076), and subsequently governor of the BanavaseTwelve Thousand. The celebrated Jain temple of the Gangasat Lakshmesvar was probably erected by him. Other worksby this author are Pushpadanta Purana, and Bevachandra-prabha-stotra.

1115. NAYA SENA is named by Naga Varmma in one ofhis sutras. He describes himself as Digambara d&sa, and wasthe author of Dharmmamrita, which he styles the K&vya-ratna. He wrote it at Malugunda (perhaps the presentMulgund in the Dharwad district), and finished it in Saka1037, the year Nandana. Extracts have already been givenfrom him showing that he was an advocate for purism in theuse of Kannada. The following is the testimony he bears tohis predecessors:

Asagana desi Ponnana mahonnati-vetta bedangu Pampan ond |asadris'amapp apurvva rasa-bhava Gajankusan olpu-vettu-ran |jisuva sad-arttha-drishti Guna-varmmana jan Kavi Katnan oje so |bhise nelas ikke dharuni manam gole mat-krityo]. nirantaram ||

Asaga's style, Ponna's majestic skill, Pampa's unequalled taste,Gajankusa's depth, of meaning, Guna Varmma's knowledge, KaviRatna's manner—may all these be ever united in my poem.

SAMBA VARMMA mentioned in Naga Varmma, andSANKHA VARMMA mentioned elsewhere, are probably thesame person, the letters kh and b being easily mistaken forone another. Beyond the names nothing more is known.

c. 1070-1120. N&ga Varmmd, Kavi Rajd, KavirajaSamsa,is the earliest grammarian of the Kannada language whoseworks have come down to us. He was descended from aBrahman family of the Kaundinya gotra, residing at the cityof Vengi in the Vengi country, and was the first-born son ofVennamayya and Polakabbe or Potikabbe. He was evidentlya Jaina, but would seem to have written under some Saivainfluence. From his quotations he was probably contempo-rary with Guna Varmma and Naya Sena, and the date of thelatter we know. Shortly before this period, or in A.D. 1063,Rajendra Chola had obtained possession of the Eastern



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Chalukya kingdom of Vengi. But the word Chola isonly once used by Naga Varmma. On the other hand, hissympathies seem to be with the Western Chalukya andGanga kings, whose names he freely introduces into theexamples under his rules. He may therefore have left Vengion becoming a Jain, and gone to the Western Chalukyaterritories, in which, as we have seen, there was great literaryactivity in the Kannada language, especially in the Gangaprincipality connected with Puligere; but there is no certaininformation as to his movements.

His works, so far as known, are the following :—Kavyava-lokana, Chhando' mbudhl, Karn&taka Bhdshd Bhushana, VasfuKdsa, and Kadambari. The first is a work on rhetoric andKannada metrical composition. It is written in Kannadaverse and consists of five adhikaranas. Unfortunately allefforts have hitherto proved unavailing to procure a com-plete MS. of this interesting and important work.1 TheChhando'mbudhl is the only work there is on Kannadachhandas or prosody.2 It is also written in Kannada, inthe form of verses addressed by Naga Varmma to his wife,the verses being so composed as themselves to furnishexamples of the rules to be illustrated. The author pro-fesses to have taken as his guide the sutras of Pingala,who is an authority for Sanskrit prosody. He appears,however, also to have followed another Pingala, the authorof sutras for Prakrit prosody. But though these formedhis guides, the arrangement and much of the nomenclatureof his work is his own, which also, unlike theirs, is metrical.The Bhdshd Bhushana is a Karnataka vyakarana or grammar,the oldest extant.3 It is in Sanskrit sutras, accompanied witha vritti or commentary by the author, with examples. TheVastu Kdsa is a Samskrita-Karnata nighantu or dictionary,composed in many artificial metres. In its compilation hestates that he has made use of Vararuchi, Halayudha, Sas-

1 The Arthdlankdram, the 3nd prakarana of the 3rd adhikarai}a, has beenpublished at Mysore.

3 E'ublished at Mangalore.3 I have this in the press, nearly ready for issue.



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308 EAELY KANNADA AUTHOES.

vata, Amara Kosa, and other works. I t will be noticed thathe does not name Hemachandra, who died in A.D. 1172.The Kadambari is a literal rendering into Kannada of Bana'scelebrated romance of the same name in Sanskrit.

c. 1120. BANA was the author of the Sri-Harsha-charita,a life of Harsha-varddhana of Thanesar, who came to thethrone 1088. Sumano Bana, described as a poet, whosedaughter was the mother of Kesi Raja, may have beenthe same person.

MALLIKARJTJNA, the father of Kesi Raja and a poet.He is said to be the author of Chhdra kathe, the adventuresof two princes, Somasekhara and Chitrasekhara, in thedisguise of robbers.

KUMUD^NDU is mentioned by Devachandra as havingwritten a Kumudendu R&matjana.

MAGHANANDI is stated by Kamalabhava, whose guruhe was, to have been Kumudendu's disciple, and by Deva-chandra to have written a story of Rama. There is a Pa-ddrtha-sara by an author of this name.

BALACHANDRA was the guru of Nagachandra, anda story about him in Kamalabhava is given below. Hisworks are said to be Tatva-ratna-dipika, Pr&bhritaka-traya-vyakhy&na.

1158. N A C H I R A J A was the author of Nachir&ji, a com-mentary in Kannada on the Amara Kosa. His date is basedon an inscription.

c. 1170. NAGACHANDRA, Abhinava Tampa, the author ofthe Rdmachandra-charita-purana, known as the PampaRdmdyana,1 of MalHnatha-pur&na, and of a little treatiseon morals called Jinamunitanayd, with which words eachstanza concludes. No particulars are given by him of hispersonal history, but he praises Samanta Bhadra, Kavi-parimeshti, Pujyapada, and Akalanka Chandra. Also Pampa,Ponna, and Ranna, naming the purana written by each.The main guide to his period is that his guru was Bala-chandra muni. Of a muni of this name Kamalabhava

1 Published at Bangalore.



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relates that the prince Simhana, though he had Vinaye'ndu-brati for his tutor, was as great a fool as an elephant (hasti-tnHrkhan) and puffed up with pride: yet he was compelledpublicly to do obeisance to Balachandra muni. Taking thisSimhana to be the prince of that name among the Yadavakings of Devagiri, who came to the throne in A.D. 1210, andthe muni to be the one named in a grant made twenty yearsearlier to a disciple, the date given in the margin has beenassumed. That it is not far out is further proved by Naga-chandra's mention as a contemporary of Sruta Kirtti, who,it will be seen below, was guru to Aggala. Of our author,Karnaparya says :—" In writing poems Ponna may almostcompare with Nava Pampa, and no one before or after hasexcelled these. Though later in date (adyatara), yet beingpraised as master (dore) of the oldest poets, great was thefame that Nagachandra obtained." Devachandra says:—"Among those who have written Sanskrit and Kannadapoems, Nagachandra was eminent for his skill."

c. 1170. SRUTA KIRTTI was Aggala's guru. Nagachandrasays that " he cut off the wings of his opponents with thesyad vdda weapon, in the same manner as Devendra smoteoff the wings of the mountains." Also that he was theauthor of a Raghava-P&ndavtya.

c. 1175. YIRANANDI is named in Nagachandra. A workcalled Chandraprabha-kdvyamdld is ascribed to him.

1189. AGGALA, Argala Beva, was the author of Chandra-prabha Purdna, which he finished in Saka 1111, the yearSaumya. He was of the Mula-sangha, Dtjsi-gana, Pustaka-gachcha, and Kundakundanvaya. His father was Santisaand his mother Vachambika. He specially invokes SriChandraprabha of Ningalesvarapura and Sruta Kirtti muni,apparently his guru; and styles himself Ubhaya-kavita-nsaradhan (skilled in both poetries). In regard to hiswork, which he designates the Kriti-ratna, he says:—

Nayadim Pampan oraldu nirmmisida Ponnam prltiyim pejda bha |ktiyim a Eatna-kavlsvaram sameda tat-kavya-trayakkam jaga |trayanmm mum beleyagi poyt ene balikk am pelda Chandraprabho |daya vistari yenippa kavyav id amulyatvakke pakk agade ||



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310 EARLY KANNADA ATJTHOES.

" That which Pampa heautifully composed, and Ponna told withaffection, and Ratna kavi related with devotion—those three poemsbeforehand absorbed the value of the three worlds: the CJiandra-prabhddaya which I have afterwards written, must it not thenremain invaluable ? "

As an Aggala Lilavati is mentioned in other works, itwould appear that he must have written a poem of thisname also.

CHANDRABHATTA is named by Kesi Raja.MANASIJA mentioned in Kesi Raja is perhaps iden-

tical with CHITTAJA mentioned in the following lines ofthe Kavijihv&bandhana, a work of the 16th century by Isvara,who calls himself the Abhinava Ki'si Raja:—

Pampanam |Chittaja-Nagavarmma-sudhiyam kavi Kesava-Ranna-mukhyaram |chittadoj ittu pejve kritiyam vibudhar mana-mechchutirppanam ||

" Keeping in mind Pampa, Chittaja, the learned ISTaga Varmma,the poet Kesava, the distinguished Banna, I will write a poempleasing to the wise."

SRI VIJAYA, also mentioned by Kesi Eaja.c. 1160-1200 KMi RAJA, KSkava, author of the Sabdama-

nidarpana, the oldest grammar of the language written inKannada itself.1 He was a Jain and quotes from "Gajaga,Gunanandi, Manasija, Asaga, Ohandrabhatta, Guna-varmma,Srivijaya, Honna and Hampa." His father was Mallikarjuna,and his mother the daughter of the poet Sumano-Bana. Hestyles himself Yadava-liatak-acharya, achari of the Yadavaarmy, or, as we might say, chaplain to the forces. Theperiod of the Yadava kings of Devagiri extends from A.D. 1188to A.D. 1312. On the other hand, in the Basava Purana,finished in A.D. 1369, a Kesi Raja is described as a devotedSaiva at Kalyana in the time of Bijjala, and of Basava thefounder of the Lingayit sect about A.D. 1165. Our authorindeed is claimed by the Lingayits and mentioned withspecial approval by subsequent writers of that sect. He maytherefore possibly have embraced the new faith, but there

1 Published at Mangalore and Bangalore.



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EARLY KANNADA AUTHORS. 3LI

is no trace of it in this work. From inscriptions we learnthat there was a Kesava or Kesi Raja, descended from aBrahman family of the Bharadvaja-gotra, who came to beHerggade Dandanayaka of the Banavase Twelve Thousandunder the King Bijjala, and held that office down to A.D.1160 at least. Moreover, in making a gift to a temple in A.D.1157, he was at the unusual pains of providing for Kannada-hshara-sikshe-ghaliyar, learned men to teach Kannada letters.Whether these several persons of this name were identicalwith the author is not clear. The Sabdamanidarpana is inverse, and gives the following as the names of his otherworks:—Chdla-p&laka-charita, Subhadrd-harana, Prabodha-chandra, Kirata. No one of these has been obtained as yet.

BANDHU VARMMA is mentioned by Mangarasa. Hewas the author of Harivam§abhyudaya and Jiva-sambodhane.

JANNA, Jannuga, Jandrddana, is praised by Kamala-bhava and by Mangarasa, the latter of whom states that hewrote the Anantandtha-charita.

o. 1200. KAMALABHAVA, the author of a SdntiSa Purdna,not to be confounded with Ponna's work of like name, whichis in twelve dsvdsas, whereas the present one is in sixteen.Kamalabhava has the appearance of being an assumed name.He was of the De'si-gana, the Pustaka-gachcha and Konda-kundanvaya. His guru was Maghanandi. As he mentionsAggala and also relates the story above given (under ]STaga-chandra) of how the prince Simhana was forced to reverenceBalachandra muni, his period would be about A.D. 1200. Hepraises Samanta Bhadra, Kaviparimeshti, and Pujyapada;and thus eulogizes his predecessors :

Jina-samaya-prakaia-krita sat-kavi Hampana pempu-vetta Hon. |nana kavi-Nagachandrana negalteya-Rannana sanda-Bandhu-va |rmmana tmdha-Nemichandrana jagan-nuta-Jannana ranjip-Aggala |yyana kriti-saundari-subhagam avagam irkke madlya kavyadol ||

" Those luminaries of the Jina congregation, the true poet Hampa,the famous Honna, the poet Nagachandra, the celebrated Banna,the great Bandhu-Varmma, the learned Nemichandra, the world-praised Janna, the renowned Aggala—may the beauties of all theirpoems for ever dwell in mine."

VOL. XT.—[NEW SERIES.] 21



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312 EAELT KANJSTADA AUTHORS.

c. 1220. KARNAPARYA, Kannapa, Karnama, Karna-varmma,was the author of Niminatha Purdna, and is mentioned assuch by Mangarasa. He wrote under the patronage ofGovarddhana, king of Kilekila-durga (apparently in theKolhapur country), and a devoted adherent of the Sravakadharmma, for his son Vijayaditya. The latter's youngerbrother Lakshmana having expressed a wish that some oneshould relate the history of Nemi Jinendra, our authorundertook it, also including therein the Hari-variisa and theKuru-vamsa." His praise of Nagachandra or Nava Pampahas already been quoted.

c. 1225. MANGARASA, Manga Bdjd, the author of a Rari-vam&a or Nemi-Jinesa-sangati, in which he describes himselfas the son of Vijayendra Raja, prabhu of Kalluhalli. Hisnotices of former authors are especially valuable from hisgiving names of their works. The following poets are men-tioned by him as having written Kannada champ u-kdvy as,namely, Pampa, Guna-varmma, Jannuga, Banna, Ponna,Nagachandra, Kannapa, Angika Nemi, and Bandhu-varmma.The following works are also attributed to him: Manmatha-charitra, Samyaktva-kaumudi, and Karnata-Sabda-matyarl.This last may have been used by Devottama for his Ndnartha-ratnakara.

c. 1250-1300. BuDRA, Rudra Bhatta Jagannatha-vijaya,consisting of stories about Krishna. This appears to be oneof the earliest Brahmanical compositions in the Kannadalanguage. The author names as his predecessors, Sankha-varmma, Santi-varmma, Guna-varmma, Manasija, Karnama,Pampa, Ohandrabhatta, Ponna-mayya and Gajankusa. Heperhaps also wrote a Rasakalika and a Viraktara-k&vya.

AMRITA-NANDI was the author of Dhanvantari-nighantu or Akaradi-nighantu, a dictionary of medical terms:also of a work on composition.

c. 1300. SALVA wrote the Rasaraln&kara, a Kannada workon dramatic composition. He refers, as his authorities, toAmrita-nandi, Budra Bhatta, Vidyanatha, Hemachandra,Naga Varmma, Kavi Kama, Udayaditya, Ganesvara andothers.



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EAELY KANNADA AUTHOES. 313

From this period, the Jains, who had hitherto possessedthe field almost entirely to themselves, appear only now andthen among Kannada authors, their place being taken byLingayit writers until A.D. 1508, when Brahmanical worksmake their appearance with the Kannada translation of theMaha Bharata. It is not the object of this article to pursuethe subject into these more modern times, regarding whichinformation already exists. But to complete our survey ofJaina writers, the few who published works after this timemay here be added.

1398. ABHINAVA MANGA RAJA, author of the Manga-Rdjd-nighantu or Kavi-Hangdbhiddna, a valuable dictionary inKannada verse, on the plan of the Amara Kosa, giving theKannada meanings of Sanskrit words commonly used in thelanguage. It is dated Saka 1320, the year Bahudhanya.The author seems to have been of the Kanne (PKamme)kula and Visvamitra gotra. He wrote under TimmaryaRamarasa, and by the blessing of Sasipura Somesa. He pro-fesses to copy' Naga Varmma's nighantu, and styles himselfAbhinava Balasarasvati Manga Raja, and Balasarade MangaRaja. Another work called Chintdmani-pratipada is said tobe by him.

ABHINAVA YADI VIDYANANDA was not an originalauthor, but made a collection of extracts from the old poets,called Kdvya Sara, so arranged as to illustrate the severalsentiments of poetry. His date is unknown, but he maybelong to the sixteenth century.

? 1550. DEVOTXAMA, author of Ndndrtha-ratndkara, aSamskrita-Karnata vocabulary, based upon Naga Varmma'sAbhidhanartha and (? Mangarasa's) Sabdamanjari. He wasof the dvija varhsa.

DEVACHANDEA, Devachandra Dvija, Vibudhendu, theauthor of Rdmakath&vat&ra and of Hdjdvali-kathe. He maybe identical with the preceding or a totally different personliving at quite another period, whether ancient or modern.In the first work he states that he kept Abhinava Pampa'spoem before him as a guide, and gives some informationabout former Jain writers of the Ramayana story, among



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whom he names Chamunda Raya, Nagachandra, Magha-nandi, Kumudendu, and Naya Sena.

VKITTI-VILASA, author of Sdstra-sdra and Bharmma-parikshe. His date is quite unknown.

1604. BHATTAKALANKA DEVA, author of the KarnatakaSabdanusasana, an exhaustive grammar of the language inSanskrit after the manner of Panini, with a voluminouscommentary called Bhasha-manjari, and a further commen-tary thereon called Manjarl-makaranda, the whole after themanner of the Mahabhashya.1 The last commentary is datedin A.D. 1604, and both the original sutras and the two glossesare by Bhattakalanka, but whether all by the same person, orby writers of the same name belonging to different periods,is not yet sufficiently determined. There are not wantingreasons for assigning the sutras to an earlier date than thetwelfth century. To a Bhattakalanka are also ascribedAshtaslti, Pratishth&-kalpa and Rajav&rttikdlanhdra.

This resuscitation, as it were, of long-forgotten andneglected authors, brings to notice a noble array of in-digenous writers, striving in the true spirit of scholars tooutvie one another in embellishing their native languageand in purging it from the admixture of foreign elements, anadulteration to which the ignorance and carelessness of im-mature students rendered them only too prone. But whilethe discovery of this large body of literature cannot butraise in estimation a language so well capable from its ownresources of serving as a vehicle for every variety of thought,it must not be hastily concluded that no literary effort wasput forth in an earlier phase of it. For one form whichthe persecutions under Kumarila Bhatta, and later underSankaracharya in the eighth century, took, was the destruc-tion of Buddhist and Jain literature. It was on the occasionof Sankara's casting such works into the Tungabhadra, that,so the story goes, one book persisted in floating on the watersand could not be made to sink. This was the Amara Kdsa,which was in consequence rescued from destruction andsuffered to live.

1 I have this great work on Kannada nearly ready for the press.



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