List of Karnataka literature

This is a list of historical and modern Karnataka literature, arranged in chronological order of the historical polity or era from which the works originated. Karnataka literature originates from the Karnataka region of South India, which roughly corresponds to the modern state of Karnataka.

This list includes, but is not limited to, works written in the Sanskrit and Kannada languages. Where information is available, the author or authors of the text are listed, followed by the title of the text and the language or languages in which the text is written. Multiple works by the same author are listed separately.

  • PūjyapādaSarvārthasiddhi (Sanskrit)
  • Jinasena IIĀdipurāṇa (Sanskrit)
  • Madhava II – Dattaka Sutrain (Sanskrit)
  • SripurushaGajasastra
  • Shivamara IIGajashtaka (Kannada)
  • Shivamara II – Sethubandha (Prakrit)
  • Hemasena or Vidya Dhananjaya – Raghavpandaviya
  • Vidhibhasimha – Gadyachintamani
  • Vidhibhasimha – Kshatrachudamani
  • Guru Nemichandra – Gommatasara
  • ChavundarayaChavundaraya Purana (Kannada)
  • Chavundaraya – Charitrasara (Kannada)
  • Chavundaraya – Trishashti Laksan Puran (Kannada)
  • Nagavarma IChandombhudhi
  • Jinasena I – Harivamsha (Sanskrit)
  • Trivikrama – Nalachampu (Sanskrit)
  • Halayudha – Kavirahasya
  • Halayudha – Mritasanjivini
  • Somadevasuri – Nitikavyamrita
  • Mahaviracharya – Ganita-Sara-Samgraha
  • Virasenacharya – Jayadhavala-Tika
  • Jinasenacharya – Parsvabhyudaya Mahapurana
  • Jinasenacharya – Dhavala
  • Gunabhadra – Uttarapurana (Sanskrit)
  • AsagaVardhamana Purana (Kannada)
  • Amoghavarsha IPrashottara Ratnamakike (Kannada)
  • Amoghavarsha I – Kavirajamarga (Kannada)
  • Sri PonnaBhuvanaika-Ramabhyudaya (Kannada)
  • Sri Ponna – Santipurana (Kannada)
  • Sri Ponna – Jinaksaramale (Kannada)
  • Adikavi PampaAdipurana (Kannada)
  • Adikavi Pampa – Vikramarjuna Vijaya (Kannada)
  • ShivakotiacharyaVaddaradhane (Kannada)
  • Kamalabhava – Santhishwarapurana (Kannada)
  • Achanna – Varadhamanapurana (Kannada)
  • Chundarasa of Pandharapura – Dashakumara Charite (Kannada)
  • RannaAjitapurana (Kannada)
  • Ranna – Sahasabhimavijaya (Kannada)
  • Ranna – Gadayuddha (Kannada)
  • Ranna – Rannakanda (Kannada)
  • Chavundaraya II – Lokopakara (Kannada)
  • Chandraraja – Madanatilaka (Kannada)
  • Shridharacharya – Jatakatilaka (Kannada)
  • Kirtivarma – Govaidya (Kannada)
  • Durgasimha – Panchatantra (Kannada)
  • Nagavarma – Kavyavalokana (Kannada)
  • Brahmashiva – Samayaparikshe (Kannada)
  • Vadiraja – Yashodharacharitam (Sanskrit)
  • Vadiraja – Parshvanatha Charitam (Sanskrit)
  • Bilhana – Vikramankadeva Charitha (Sanskrit)
  • Vijananeshvara – Mitakshara (Sanskrit)
  • Someshwara IIIAbhilashithartha Chinthamani or Manasollasa (Sanskrit)
  • Someshwara III – Chandraprabhacharite (Sanskrit)
  • Jagadekamalla – Sangithachudamani (Sanskrit)
  • Jagaddala Somanatha – Karnataka Kalyanakaraka (Kannada)
  • Karnaparya – Neminatha Purana (Kannada)
  • Nayasena – Dharmamrita (Kannada)
  • Brahmasiva – Samayaparikshe (Kannada)
  • Shantiraja – Sukumaracharita (Kannada)
  • Vritta Vilasa – Translation of Sanskrit text Dharama Parikshe (Kannada)
  • Nagavarma IIKavyavalokana (Kannada)
  • Nagavarma II – Bhashabhushana (Kannada)
  • Nagavarma II – Abhidana Vastukosha (Kannada)

Hoysala Empire (950–1343)

  • MadhvacharyaSarvamula Granthas (Sanskrit)
  • Vidyatirtha – Rudraprashnabhashya (Sanskrit)
  • NagachandraRamachandra Charitapurana (Kannada)
  • Nagachandra – Mallinathapurana (Kannada)
  • Harihara – Girija Kalyana (Kannada)
  • Harihara – Basavarajadevara Ragale (Kannada)
  • RaghavankaHarischandra Kavya (Kannada)
  • Raghavanka – Siddhara Chanitra (Kannada)
  • Raghavanka – Veeresha Charite (Kannada)
  • Raghavanka – Sharabha Charitre (Kannada)
  • Raghavanka – Somanathacharita (Kannada)
  • Raghavanka – Harihara Mahatwa (Kannada)
  • JannaYashodhara Charite (Kannada)
  • Janna – Ananthanatha Purana (Kannada)
  • NemichandraLeelavati (Kannada)
  • Nemichandra – Neminatha Purana (Kannada)
  • Achanna – Vardhamana Purana
  • RudrabhattaJagannatha Vijaya (Kannada)
  • Mallikarjuna – Sukti (Kannada)
  • Mallikarjuna – Sudharnava (Kannada)
  • KesirajaShabdamanidarpana (Kannada)
  • Hastimalla – Adipurana (Kannada)
  • Andayya – Vardhamana Purana (Kannada)
  • Andayya – Kabbigarakava (Kannada)
  • Choundarasa – Abhinava Dasha Kumara Charitha (Kannada)
  • Choundarasa – Nala Champu (Kannada)
  • Rajaditya – Kshetraganita (Kannada)
  • Rajaditya – Vyavaharaganita (Kannada)
  • Rajaditya – Lilavati (Kannada)
  • Ratta Kavi – Rata-Mata (Kannada)
  • Bandhuvarma – Neminatha Purana (Kannada)
  • Bandhuvarma – Harivamsha (Kannada)
  • Mahabalakavi – Neminatha Purana (Kannada)
  • Padmarasa – Dikshabodhe (Kannada)
  • Hastimalla – Adipurana
  • Trivikrama – Ushaharana (Sanskrit)
  • Narayana Pandita – Madhwavijaya (Sanskrit)
  • Narayana Pandita – Manimanjari (Sanskrit)
  • Narayana Pandita – Parijataharana (Sanskrit)
  • Vidyacharkarvartin II – Rukminikalyana (Sanskrit)

Kalachuri dynasty (1164–1181), Virashaiva Saints and Vachanakaras

  • Basavanna (known as Basaveshvara wrote the spiritual lyrics vachanas – Kannada)
  • Madivala Machayya (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Madara Channayya (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Sakalesha Madarasa (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Ramanna (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Sujikayakada Ramitande (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Medara Ketayya (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Kayakada Basappa (vachanakara – Kannada)
  • Virupaksha Pandita – (Chennabasavapurana – Kannada)
  • Dharani Pandita – (Bijjalarayacharite – Kannada)
  • Chandrasagara Varni (Bijjalarayapurana – Kannada)

Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646), Kannada Haridasa Sahitya

  • Kumara Vyasa (1430 AD) (Gadugina Bharata or Karnataka Bharata KathaManjari a Kannada adaptation of Mahabharata and Airavata. His title was Rupaka Samrajya Chakravarti (Emperor of the World of Metaphors).)
  • Narahri or Kumara Valmiki (1500 AD) (Torave Ramayana in Kannada & Smriti Kaustubha in Sanskrit)
  • Vittalanatha (Bhagavatha) – Kannada
  • Ratnakarvarni (16th century) (Bharatesha Vaibhava, Triloka Sataka, Someswara Sataka) – Kannada
  • Nanjunda – Kumara Rama Charita (16th century) – Kannada
  • BhimaKavi – Basavapurana(1369 AD) – Kannada
  • Padmanaka – Kannada
  • Kereya Padmarasa – Padmaraja Purana (1385 AD) – Kannada
  • Lakkana Dandesa Shivatatwa Chintamani (1428 AD) – Kannada
  • Gubbi Mallanacharya – Veerasaivamrita (1513 AD) – Kannada
  • Singiraja – Kannada
  • Chamarasa (Prabhulinga Leele) – Kannada
  • Akalanka (16th century), Jain scholar – Kannada
  • Bhattakalaka (16th century) – Kannada grammarian
  • Mangaraja (1360 AD) (Khagendra-Mani-Darpana, work on poisons and antidotes) – Kannada
  • Sayana (Vedartha Prakasha, Yajnatantra Sudhanidhi, Prayaschitra Sudhanidhi and Purushartha Sudhanidhi) – Sanskrit
  • Madhava Vidyaranya (Parasara – Madhaviya, Sarva-darshana-samgraha) – Sanskrit
  • Devanna Bhatta (Smriti Chandrika) – Sanskrit
  • Gangadevi (Poet, Madhura Vijayam) – Sanskrit
  • Tirumalamba Devi (Poet, Varadambika Parinayam) – Sanskrit
  • Krishnadevaraya (Madalasa Charita, Satyavadu Parinaya& Rasamanjari – Sanskrit
  • Ramaraja (Bakhair – Battle of Talikota – Persian??)
  • Timmanna Kavi, patronised by king Krishnadevaraya, Kannada
  • Kereya Padmarasa, Padmaraja Purana – Kannada
  • Linganna, Keladinripavijayam – Kannada
  • Unknown author, Krishnadevarayana Dinachari is a recent discovery in Kannada.
  • Chatu Vithalanatha, Kannada
  • Madhura, Kannada
  • Salva
  • Mallanarya, Veerasaivamrita – Kannada
  • Lakkana Dandesa, Shivatatwa Chintamani – Kannada
  • Shivagna Prasadi Mahadevayya and Halageyadeva, Shunya Sampadane – Kannada
  • Kallumathada Prabhuva – Kannada
  • Jakkanna – Kannada
  • Maggeya Mayideva – Kannada
  • Tontada Siddalingayati – Kannada

Haridasa

  • Purandaradasa (1484–1564 AD) (Father of Carnatic music. Composed 475,000 songs in Kannada. His titles wereDasaShreshta Purandaropanishat, Sangitapitamaha)
  • Kanakadasa (1509–1607 AD) (Padas and Keertans

RamadhyanaCharite, Haribhakthisara, Kalacharithre, Mohana Tarangini, Nalacharitre – Kannada)

Later Haridasa

  • Guru Raghavendra Swami (1600–1671 AD) the great Sage of Manthralaya.Important works
  • Vijaya Dasa (1687–1755 AD)
  • Mohana Dasa
  • Gopala Dasa (1721–1762 AD)
  • Helavanakatte Giriyamma
  • Jagannatha Dasa (1728–1809 AD) (Harikathamrithasara, Uga Bhogas, Keerthanas and Tathva Suvalis– Kannada)

Kannada literature from Mysore Kingdom, Keladi Nayaka kingdom

  • Basappanayaka (Shivatatwa Ratnakara – History Keladi Kings)
  • Linganna (Keladi Napra Vijaya– History of Keladi Kings)
  • Chikkupadhyaya, Minister and teacher of His Highness Sri Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar (1670 AD) – more than 30 works in Kannada
  • Tirumalaraya (1680 CE) (Chikkadevaraja Vijayam, Chikkadevaraja Vamshaavali – History of Mysore Kings)
  • Govinda Vaidya (1648 CE) (Narasaraja Vijaya – History of Mysore Kings)
  • Bhattakalanka Deva (1604 AD) (Karnataka Shabdaushasana on grammar)
  • Sakdakshara Deva (1657 AD) (Rajshekhara Vilasa – romantic champu)
  • Noorondayya (1740 AD) (Soundara Kavya)
  • Nijaguna Yogi (1650 AD) (Viveka Chintamani – Shaiva work)
  • Nanja Raja (1760 AD) (Shiva Bhakti Mahatmya and Hari Vamsa – Puranic works)
  • Brahma Kavi (Samaya Pariksha)
  • Sarvajna (1650 AD) (tripadis or vachanas pithy three lined poems in Kannada)

Kannada literature from old Bangalore (18th century – 20th century)

18th-century Kannada

  • Guru Nanjesh (Jayastuti)
  • Ekambara Dikshit (Veerabhdra Vijaya)
  • Jayaram Pande (Radha Madhava Vilasa)
  • Mudduveeraswamy (1700 AD) (Vachanakara)
  • Sarpabhooshana Shivayogi (1795–1839 AD) (Vachanakara)
  • Mahant Desika (Vachanakara)
  • Jeerage Basavalingacharya (Vachanakara)

19th-century Kannada (topics: grammar, linguistics, Jain and Virashaiva philosophy, geology, agriculture, politics)

  • Siddhanti Velanada
  • Subramanya Shastri
  • Siddhanti Shivakumara Shastri
  • Srinivasa
  • Nagasharma
  • Dakshinamurthy Shastri
  • Padmaraja Bhramasuri
  • Ramanathapuram Raguraya
  • S. N. Narasimhaiah
  • Doddabele Narayana Shastri – commentary on Jaimini Bharatha, Sundarakhanda, translations of Kalidasa works

20th-century Kannada

  • Bidare Ashwatha Narayana shastri (Dhammapada)
  • B. Puttiah (printing technology)
  • Panyam Sudarashastri (a translation of Bhasa Dharma)
  • S.K. Nasasimhaiya (biography of Magadi Kempe Gowda)
  • Toppulu Raghavacharya (translation of commentary on Gita)
  • Mahant desika (Yakshagana composition)
  • Balasaraswati (first detective novel)
  • Mahadevaswamy (nicknamed Abhinava Allama)
  • Pt. Shivakumar Swamy
  • Siddalingaswamy of Beli Matha
  • Nanjundaswamy of Guruvanna Matha
  • Pt. B. Shivamurty Shastri

20th-century Sanskrit Keerthanakaras

  • Singeri NarasimhaShastri
  • M. Lakshminarasimha Shastri
  • Varada Desikachar
  • Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Rariapalli Anantha Krishna Sharma
  • Motaganahalli Subramanya Shastri

20th-century harikathe dasaru

  • Gururajulu Naidu
  • Sant Keshava Das
  • Bhadragiri Achuth Das
  • Malur Sonnappa
  • Muiratnam Mudaliar

Modern Kannada poets, scholars and writers

Sahitya Academy Awardees

Kendra Sahitya Academy Awardees (translation)

Other eminent writers

  • Panje Mangesh Rao
  • De. Javare Gowda
  • Annadanayya Puranik – Vachanas, Law, Shiva Sharana literature
  • Siddayya Puranik – Vachanas, Shiva Sharana literature
  • Chandrika Puranik – Shiva Sharana literature
  • Udaya Shankar Puranik – science and technology, columnist
  • Haldoderi Sudhindra – columnist
  • Pandit Kallinath Shastri Puranik – 12 Puranas and Ayurveda
  • Basavaraj Puranik – Shiva Sharana literature
  • Samethanahalli Rama Rao (Raasa)
  • Anupama Niranjana
  • B. M. Srikanthaiah (B. M. Sri)
  • Dr. A. N. Krishna Rao (Anakru)
  • G. P. Rajarathnam
  • G. B. Joshi (JadaBharata)
  • M Govinda Pai
  • M. V. Seetaramiah
  • Nisar Ahmed K. S.
  • P. Lankesh
  • Dr. Panchakshari Hiremath
  • SAADHANE-RajguruGuruswamiKalikeri (Poetry, research, legends, biographies and lyrics)
  • S. V. Parameshwara Bhatta
  • T. P. Kailasam – drama
  • Tha. Ra. Subbarao
  • Thee. Nam. Shree
  • R. K. Narayan, author
  • R. K. Laxman, cartoonist & humorist
  • Kamala Markhandaya
  • Triveni (Sharapanjara), novelist
  • G. P. Rajaratnam (Ratnana Padagalu)
  • Beechi – humorist
  • Dr M.Shivaram, Rashi – humorist
  • T. Sunandamma – humorist
  • H. L. Nage Gowda – folklorist
  • Go Ru Chennabsappa (Go Ru Cha) – Janapada Saahithya & Sharana Saahithya
  • Anakaru – novelist
  • M. Ramamurthy
  • K. V. Iyer
  • Devudu
  • Niranjana
  • Na. Kasturi
  • Navaratna Rama Rao
  • T. T. Sharma – journalism
  • VeeraKesari
  • Siddavanahalli Krishna Sharma
  • Hariharapriya
  • R. Kalyanamma
  • Tirumale Rajamma
  • Ambabai
  • H. V. Savitramma
  • H. S. Parvathi
  • Chi. Na. Mangala
  • H. R. Indira
  • M. K. Indira
  • P. V. Acharya Poet, Editor and writer
  • M. V. Kanakamma
  • Nirupama
  • N. Pankaja
  • Usha Navaratna Ram
  • Kakolu Saroja Rao
  • Anupama Niranjana
  • Vi. Seetharamiah, poet, critic
  • Basavaraja Kattimani
  • Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba (author)
  • Sundar V. Nadkarni, fiction writer and poet
  • Ta. Raa.Subba Rao, novelist
  • Veenaa Shantheshvara, short story writer
  • Vaidehi, short story writer
  • Sumangala, short story writer
  • Dr K. R. Sandhya Reddy, poet, story writer, folk literature
  • T. K. Venkatesh Prabhu – novelist & poet
  • A. N. Prahlada Rao Kannada crossword writer
  • Pratibha Nandakumar, poet
  • D. R. Nagraj, critic
  • K. V. Narayana, literary critic and linguist
  • B. C. Ramachandra Sharma, poet and fictionist
  • D.V.Guruprasad Former police officer,columnist and writer.
  • Shanhinatha Desai, novelist, story writer
  • Kum. Veerabhadrappa, novelist, story writer
  • Gowri Lankesh, columnist
  • Vishweswara Bhat, columnist
  • Abdul Raheem Teekay, Writer[1]
  • Ravi Hanj, columnist
  • B. V. Veerabhadrappa, columnist
  • Dr. N. Someswara, health writer
  • N. Narasimhaiah – detective novelist
  • A. N. Murthy Rao
  • Dr. S. R. Ramaswamy, journalist
  • Ba. Na. Sundara Rao, author and journalist
  • Shivarudraprasad, poet and columnist

Literature originating from Christian missionaries

  • Rev. John Garet (translated Bible, Bhagavadgita, Panchatantra, Shabda Manidarpana to Kannada)
  • Daniel Sanderson (translated Jaimini Bharata to English)
  • Thomas Hodson
  • Ellis Robert
  • Rev. B. L Rice
  • Edward Peter Rice

See also

References

  • Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter Books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002), OCLC 7796041
  • Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002), ISBN 0-19-560686-8
  • R. Narasimhacharya, History of Kannada Literature, 1988, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, Madras, 1988, ISBN 81-206-0303-6.
  • Ramachandra Sidenur, Karmanye Vadhi Karaste, 2004, Dharwad.