Palkuriki Somanatha

Palkuriki Somanatha

Statue of Palkuriki Somanatha
Born Telangana or Karnataka, India
Occupation Poet
Nationality Indian
Genre Religion (Lingayatism)
Notable works Basava purana (Telugu), Silasampadane (Kannada), Somanathabhashya (Sanskrit)
Noted Kannada poets and writers in Hoysala Empire
(1100-1343 CE)
Nagachandra 1105
Kanti 1108
Rajaditya 12th. c
Harihara 11601200
Udayaditya 1150
Vritta Vilasa 1160
Kereya Padmarasa 1165
Nemichandra 1170
Sumanobana 1175
Rudrabhatta 1180
Aggala 1189
Palkuriki Somanatha 1195
Sujanottamsa(Boppana) 1180
Kavi Kama 12th c.
Devakavi 1200
Raghavanka 12001225
Bhanduvarma 1200
Balachandra Kavi 1204
Parsva Pandita 1205
Maghanandycharya 1209
Janna 12091230
Puligere Somanatha 13th c.
Hastimalla 13th c.
Chandrama 13th c.
Somaraja 1222
Gunavarma II 1235
Polalvadandanatha 1224
Andayya 12171235
Sisumayana 1232
Mallikarjuna 1245
Naraharitirtha 1281
Kumara Padmarasa 13th c.
Mahabala Kavi 1254
Kesiraja 1260
Kumudendu 1275
Nachiraja 1300
Ratta Kavi 1300
Nagaraja 1331
Noted Kannada poets and writers in the Seuna Yadava Kingdom
Kamalabhava 1180
Achanna 1198
Amugideva 1220
Chaundarasa 1300

Palkuriki Somanatha was one of the most noted Telugu language writers of the 12th or 13th century. He was also an accomplished writer in the Kannada and Sanskrit languages and penned several classics in those languages.[1] He was a Shaiva (devotee of the Hindu god Shiva) by faith and a follower of the 12th century social reformer Basava and his writings were primarily intended to propagate this faith.[1] He was a well acclaimed Shaiva poet.[2]

Life

Indication that he was not a Shaiva by birth comes from the fact that he mentions the names of his parents in his very first work, Basava Purana, violating a general practice of Shaiva writers who do not mention their real parents but rather consider the god Shiva as the father and his concert Parvati as the mother.[1] However, the scholar Bandaru Tammayya has argued that he was born a Jangama (devotee of the god Shiva).[3] The scholar Seshayya places him in the late 13th to early 14th century and proposes that the writer lived during the reign of Kakatiya king Prataparudra II, whereas the Kannada scholar R. Narasimhacharya dates his writings to the 12th century and claims Somanatha was patronised by Kakatiya king Prataparudra I (11401196).[4][5] His place of birth is uncertain because there is a village by the name Palkuriki in the Warangal district of the Telangana state as well as in the Kannada speaking region (Karnataka).[1][6]

Writings

Telugu language

Important among his Telugu language writings are the Basava Purana, Panditaradhya charitra, Malamadevipuranamu and Somanatha Stavain dwipada metre ("couplets"); Anubhavasara, Chennamallu Sisamalu, Vrishadhipa Shataka and Cheturvedasarain verses; Basavodharana in verses and ragale metre (rhymed couplets in blank verse); and the Basavaragada.[7]

Kannada language

His contributions to Kannada literature are, the Basavaragada, Basavadhyaragada, Sadgururagada, Silasampadane, Sahasragananama, Pancharantna. Several Vachana and ragale poems are also his contributions to Kannada literature. Somanatha's Telugu Basavapurana was the inspiration for Vijayanagara poet Bhimkavi (c. 1369) who wrote a Kannada book by the same name. Somanatha was the protagonist of a 16th-century Kannada purana ("epic religious text") written by the Vijayanagara poet Tontadarya.[8]

Sanskrit language

Important among his Sanskrit language writings are the Somanathabhashya, Rudrabhashya, Vrishabhastaka, Basavodharana, Basavashtaka, Basava panchaka, Ashtottara satanama gadya, Panchaprakara gadya and Asharanka gadya.[7]

Works in translation

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sahitya Akademi (1992), p. 4133
  2. "T votaries cry foul over 'neglect' of T contribution to Telugu pride". The Times Of India. 13 March 2011.
  3. Bandaru Tammayya in Sahitya Akademi (1992), p. 4133
  4. Seshayya in Sahitya Akademi (1992), p. 4133
  5. Narasimhacharya (1988), p. 20, p. 68
  6. Shastri (1955), p. 362
  7. 1 2 Shatiya Akademi (1992), p. 4133
  8. Shastri (1955), p. 362; Shatiya Akademi (1992), p. 4133

References

See also

Web page on Palkuriki Somanatha

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