Vachana sahitya
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
Short prose-poems in Kannada by Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu and other 12th-century saints, the scripture of the Lingayat tradition.
| Tradition | Lingayat / Veerashaiva |
|---|---|
| Type | Devotional poetry |
| Language | Kannada |
| Period | 12th century CE |
| Composed or compiled by | Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu, Channabasavanna and many other sharanas |
What it contains
- Personal devotion to Shiva in plain Kannada.
- Work is worship (kayakave kailasa).
- Rejection of caste and gender discrimination.
- Many women saints and saints from working families.
Significance
The vachanas shaped Kannada literature and the Lingayat community. Tradition remembers the Anubhava Mantapa at Kalyana as an assembly where the sharanas discussed spiritual and social questions.