Harihara poet biography assignments for class

Veerashaiva Shaiva Brahmana? Narasimha Ballala Hoysala king for a few years. Harihara is one of the most important poets of Kannada for more than one reason. He is perhaps the first Kannada poet who chose a Tamil work as a source instead of more favoured Sanskrit and Prakrit works.

Harihar avatar

It was compiled during the twelfth century by Sekkizhar. It provides evidence of trade with West Asia. Consequent of this choice the locale, the details and the narrative style undergo a sea change and become and nearer to the native Dravidian life style. On the contrary other ragales hold a mirror to the medeival Karnataka and the details are keenly observed and sensitively portrayed.

He uses medeiva Kannada or Nadugannada to great effect in all his ragales. The style is highly evocative and the poet eschews Sanskrit words as far as possible. His daring in changing the style and subject matter is to be admired even though one has to concede that he was greatly influenced by the Vachana literature of Shivasharanas.

Vijayanagara empire harihara and bukka

The life of the common man holds the centre stage for the the first time in Kannada literature in these works. A potter, an agriculturist, a hunter, a cobbler, a washerman and a fisherman are the protagonists of some of his celebrated ragales. The lord Shiva is accesible to all of them without the mediation of the priest. This is a huge step forward which unfortunately was not followed by his successors.

Another major acheivement of Harihara was his judicious combination of realistic portrayal of his characters and a desire to deify them.