Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 29

JANUARY, 1875.]
OLD KANARESE LITERATURE.
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(Kanarese metres with six lines), metres in which nearly all the Liñigavanta and Brahmanic Kanarese poems appear, but, as far as I know, none of the Jainas. He is pictured as a very good disputant, and died in Volapura. His death took place before 1369 A.D., as at that year he had already become a renowned man of the past. There is a work of recent date, named Anubhava Sikhamani, containing Saiva stories, that professes to be & work of Raghava in a revised form.
8. Prabhu Linga Lid-25 chapters, with 1110 verses, in Satpadi. The author's name is not given in my copy; but it is probably the work of the same name that was composed by Châmarasa Ayya at the time of Praudha Raja of Vidyanagara. It is the legend of the Tañgama Allama Prabhu, (the son of Nirahačkára Muni), who at last ascended the guru throne in Kalyanapura in Basava's time. The first story relates how Allama went to the town Bana va se, in the country Běļavala, where the king Mamakâra Prabhu ruled, and how he seduced the princess Mâye, the king's only child.
9. Praudha Raja Katha, i.e. stories told to king Praudha of Vidyanagara, to convince him of the truth of Liñgavantism. It was written by Adrisa, the son of Aznappa, of the Kare kula of the merchant-chiefs deadyi) of the parganah (para. gane) of Kollapura. The stories are mostly, if not throughout, somewhat more detailed accounts of the short legends of Saivas found in Bhima's Basava Purdna and the Channa Basava Purana.
10. Akhandeśvara vachana, a treatise setting forth the specific Liñgaita tenets and ceremonies. It is also called Sat Sthala Acharana. The sacred. ness of the number six with the Lisīgaitas is found. ed on the mantra om namah Sivaya, which has six syllables. Thus they speak of Sad akshara, Sad dhatu, Sat karma, Sad indriya, Sal Bhava, Sa liñign. The headings to the nino chapters are as follows (the word sthakt meaning topic) :Sri guru kirunya sthala, Liñga dhárana sthala, Vibhuti stholi, Rudraksha sthala, Bhakti sthala, Túrya nirálamba stlali, Prasadi sthula, Prana lingi sthala, Sarana sthala.
11. The Brahmottara Kanda of the Skanda Purina or Siva katha amrita sára, translated after the time of the poet Raghava--31 chapters, with 1844 verses, in Satpadi.
12. Sadakshari Dera's Rajasekhara Vilisa, i. e. a legend regarding some episodes in the life of the Chola king Rajasekhara-14 chapters: finished A.D. 1657. Sadak-shari, a disciple
of Chika (chekka) Vira dešika, stands as a poet, according to my impression, higher than all the other Kanarese poets known to me. His diction, however, is somewhat too flowery and verbose, and he frequently uses very obsceno language. He introduces no verse in Satpadi, and in this, as well as in grammar and vocables, imitates the ancient poets. His language is difficult, but a model of exactness.
Saiva Literature. By Saivas (whether all of them were Aradhya Brahmare or not is doubtful) were composed the following works :
1. Bhakti Rasáyana, by Sahajananda; 107 verses in Satpadi. It has some good thoughts.
2. Anubhavámrita, by Sri Raīga, son of Mahaliñiga of the Sahavasi family, and a pupil of Sahajananda guru. A very popular treatise on Vedantism; 856 verses in Satpadi.
3. Chidakhanda anubhava sara; 537 Šat padi verses on the Vedanta by Chidananda.
4. Dnyana Sindhu; a Vedantist treatise in Satpadi, 46 chapters, by Chidanandavadhata, whose guru was Chidananda.
5. Viveka Chintamani; ten Prakaranas, by Nijaguna Sivayogi, on matters regarding the Nigamas and Agamas. Its first paragraph, for instance, concerns Isvara's attributes; then follow the four divisions of the Veda, then the four divisions of vadas (vidhi vdda, artha vida, inantra udda, ndmadheya), then the Veddīgas, the Upavedas, &c. It is often too short to be of much use.
6. Sarvadnya's Pallas. Verses that sometimes express neatly the wisdom of the streets. The metre is Vipadi, a kind of Kanarese verse with three lines, that is not often used. He tells his own story in the concluding chapter. Entire copies of his work appear to be rare.* 7. Manga Raja's Nighantu. 8. Isvara Kari's Kitcijih vibardhana. I
Vaishnara Literature. Works that fall under this licading are of comparatively little interest, as they, with the exception of the Dasa Padas, alio incre translations of. or free extracts from, Pauranika works.
1. Jaimini's Dhurit, translatod by Lakshmisa of Dovanar (Maisar), son of Aunnina, of the Bharad vaja family. It professes to be a translation of the Ascorullu perca of a work by Jaimini Muni, the muni lanving given this description of Dharma Raja's horsc-sacrifice to king Janame. jaya. It is in Satpadi, and is written in a simple but classical stylc; 31 chapters containing 1907
# A few verses of his are translated in the Ind. Ant. vol. II. (187) pp. 23 xey. + An account of this work is given in the Ind. Ant. vol. I. (187) p. 315 19
I See the Mangalore edition of the Subdamanidarra a, p. xxiv. se . A Sangita Ritrians, which I have neve seen, is said to treat of melodies (ruga).