Poet: Allama Prabhu

Translator: S.C. Nandimath, Armando Menzes, and R.C. Hiremath

Source: Sunya Sampadane Volume 1, Karnataka University, Dharwad

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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When neither Source nor Substance was,

When neither I nor mine,

When neither Form nor Formless was,

When neither Void was nor non-Void,

Nor that which moves or moves not,

Then was Guhesvara's votary born.

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Allama Prabhu, a revered poet and the patron saint of the Sharana movement in medieval Karnataka, was born in the 12th century in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. He played a pivotal role in reshaping both society and Kannada literature. Recognized as part of the "Trinity of Lingayatism" alongside Basavanna and Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu channeled poetry to critique rituals, challenge social norms, and promote moral values, particularly emphasizing devotional worship of Shiva. Details of his early life are a mix of historical accounts and legendary tales. Allama Prabhu, known for his mystic and cryptic style, composed over 1,300 hymns, spreading his transformative message through spontaneous vernacular songs and Sandhya Bhasha, a coded language rooted in Vedic and Upanishadic traditions. His Ankita, or the signature he used for himself in verses, was Guhesvara, and his poetic expression staunchly opposed symbolism, occult powers, temple worship, and ritualistic practices.