Kannada vacanas

[Dr Shivamurthy Swamiji]

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From:   S Krishna[SMTP:mahadevasiva at HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent:   Sunday, May 10, 1998 2:10 AM
To:     INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
Subject:        Kannada vacanas

<2. I find that the signature of the poets in the vacanas is seldom their
own name, but the name of a God to whom the poem has been
dedicated..i.e. basavEzvara uses "kUDala sangamEzvara!" mahAdEviyakka
uses "cennamallikArjuna", dasimaiya uses "O rAmanAtha!"...is there any
special reason for this?> ........

It is not totally true.  Some of the authors (Shiva Sharanas as they are called) do use their own names as signature (ankita) referring to their personal God.   To quote only a few names of such Vacanakaras and their signature (given within brackets):

1.  ambigara cauDayya   (ambigara cauDayya)
2.  urilingadeva (urilingadeva)
3.  nijaguNayogi (nijaguNayogi)
4.  nivRttiyogi (nivRttiyogi)
5.  eeleeshvara keetayya (eeleeshvara linga)
6.  baLLeesha mallayya (baLLeshvara)
7.  gangamma (gangeshvara linga)
8.  soDDaLa bAcarasa (soDDaLa)
9.  telugeesha masaNayya (telugeeshvara)
10. gangambike (gangaapriya kuuDalasanga)

As you see from the above sample list of signatures, some use their own name as it is, some others with a little modification adding a word or two like "linga" or "Ishvara" or something else.  Yet others use the personal name of their own family members like husband or brother.  As for example, muktayakka, a woman poet,  uses the signature of "ajagaNNa" which is the name of her own brother.

But one thing is certain.  All the ankitas, including those corraborating with the author's name, refer to their personal God only.  They cannot be equated with the pennames of modern poets.

Dr Shivamurthy Swamiji
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Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Brihanmath   * Taralabalu Kendra
Sirigere - 577 541, Karnataka, India     * 3rd Main Road, 2nd Block
Email: swamiji at giasbg01.vsnl.net.in     * RT Nagar, Bangalore - 560 032
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