Adikavi Pampa

Pampa, a Jain poet who wrote in the Kannada language and went by the epithet Adikavi (“First Poet”), was active around the turn of the tenth century. Pampa is well known for his epics Vikramarjuna Vijaya or Pampa Bharata and the Adi Purana, both of which were written in the champu style around 939 CE and were court poems for the Vemulavada Chalukyan king Arikesari II. He was also a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta dynasty king Krishna III. These pieces served as the template for all subsequent Kannada champu works. The “Three gems of Kannada literature“, which are the writings of the Jain authors Pampa, Sri Ponna, and Ranna, marked the beginning of the 10th century in Kannada literature.

The topic has a chance of being asked as a UPSC Prelims History Question or as a Current Affairs Question.

Note: UPSC 2023 is approaching closer, supplement your preparation with the free Daily Video Analysis of The Hindu Newspaper by BYJU’S.

Adikavi Pampa UPSC Notes PDF –Download PDF Here

About Pampa

Regarding Pampa’s early years and native tongue, there are conflicting views. Although it is generally accepted that Pampa came from a Brahmin family who converted to Jainism, their exact origin and native tongue (Kannada or Telugu) are up for contention. His father was Abhimanadevaraya (also known as Bhimappayya), and his mother was Abbanabbe, as per the trilingual inscription (in Sanskrit, Telugu, as well as Kannada) erected at Bommalamma Gutta in Kurikiyala town, Gangadharam Mandal (in present-day Telangana) by Pampa’s younger brother Jinavallabha. It also stated that his grandfather was Abhimanachandra, a Brahman from the Kammanadu neighbourhood in the Guntur region of Andhra Pradesh who was from Vangiparru. Pampa was born in Annigeri, spent his formative years on the banks of the neighbouring Varada river, and his mother Abbanabbe was the granddaughter of Joyisa Singha of Annigeri, in the present Dharwad district of Karnataka state, as per the modern Jain scholar Hampa Nagarajaiah (“Hampana”).

Pampa’s epic Vikramarjuna Vijaya attests to the poet’s devotion to the Banavasi region by frequently describing the grandeur of the Banavasi region (in the contemporary Uttara Kannada district), including the pouring (Abhishek) of waters from the Varada stream on Arjuna’s head at his coronation. Pampa, however, is thought to have hailed from a Telugu-speaking household or area, as per Sheldon Pollock.
List of Current Affairs Articles for UPSC

Note: UPSC 2023 is approaching closer, keep yourself updated with the latest UPSC current affairs where we explain the important news in a simplified manner.

Note: You can make your current affairs revision robust using Free Monthly Magazines by BYJU’S.

Poetic Life of Pampa

He became King Arikesari II’s court poet after travelling around. Arikesari, who held the title Gunarnava, was moved by his intellect and literary prowess and bestowed the title Kavita Gunarnava upon him. He authored his first masterwork, “Adi Purana”, in 941 CE when he was 39 years old. A short while after, he finished Vikramarjuna Vijaya, also known as Pampa Bharata. These two pieces are still among the finest examples of traditional Kannada composition.

Adipurana

The Adi Purana, a Kannada translation of Jinasena’s Sanskrit work, describes Rishabha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism, in sixteen cantos and is composed in the champu manner, a hybrid kind of prose and verse. The trip of a soul to perfection and the achievement of moksha is the theme of the work in his own distinctive manner. The two brothers Bharata and Bahubali, sons of Rishabha, battle for dominance and control over the entire globe in this work by Pampa. Even though Bahubali triumphs, he chooses to abandon his worldly ambitions in favour of his brother. This work served as a model for other Jain Puranas from the Middle Ages.

Frequently Asked Questions about Adikavi Pampa:

Q1

Who wrote Pampa?

Vikramarjuna Vijaya (victory of the mighty Arjuna), also known as Pampa Bharatha is a classic work of the 10th century Jain poet Pampa (902–975 AD). It is a Kannada version of the great epic, the Mahabharata of Vyasa.
Q2

Who is the guru of Pampa?

True to his rearing, Pampa cared little for material possessions and gave freely of what he had. He highly esteemed his guru, Devendramuni, and his royal patron, Arikesari, and lauded both in his writings.
Q3

Who is known as Adikavi first poet?

Pampa ( c. 10th century), called by the honorific Adikavi (“First Poet”) was a Kannada-language Jain poet whose works reflected his philosophical beliefs.
Q4

Who was the famous ruler who gave shelter to Pampa?

Arikesari II (930 – 955) was a ruler of the Vemulavada Chalukya dynasty of present-day Telangana, India. A Rashtrakuta vassal, he played an important role in dethroning the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda IV and enthroning Amoghavarsha III as the new emperor. He was the patron of Pampa, one of the earliest notable Kannada-language poets.
Q5

Who was the first author of Karnataka?

Jains were the earliest known cultivators of Kannada literature, which they dominated until the 12th century, although a few works by Lingayats from that period have survived. Jain authors wrote about Tirthankaras and other aspects of religion.
Q6

Who was the ADI poet?

The first Adi poet was Adikavi Pampa.
Q7

Who are Pampa Ranna and Ponna?

Pampa, Ponna and Ranna were famous Kannada poets of the Rashtrakuta period. They are also referred to as Ratnathrayas.
Q8

Who is Kannada first female poet?

Akka Mahadebvi (c. 1130 – 1160) was one of the early female poets of the Kannada literature and a prominent person in the Lingayat Shaiva sect in the 12th century.
Q9

What is Adikavi?

Literal meaning of Adikavi: Adikavi (adi ‘primeval, first’ + kavi ‘poet’) literally means ‘the first poet’.

Note: You may get all the History Questions for the UPSC Mains exam by visiting the linked article.

Start your IAS Exam preparation by understanding the UPSC Syllabus in-depth and planning your approach accordingly.

Related Links:

The North Indian Kingdoms – The Rajputs The Bahmani Kingdom (1347-1 526 A.D.)
The Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1 672 A.D.) Early Medieval Southern India (Imperial Cholas)
Provincial Kingdoms of Medieval India (Part 1) Provincial Kingdoms of Medieval India (Part 2)
Administration under the Delhi Sultanate Sur Dynasty or Sur Interregnum (1540-1555)

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published.

*

*