List of epics in the Kannada language

Main article: Kannada literature

This is a list of available epics in the Kannada language (also called purana, in prose or poem), a South Indian language. Based on his research, the Kannada scholar L.S. Sheshagiri Rao claims that starting with the earliest available epic Adipurana by Pampa (939 C.E), Kannada writers have created a rich and active epic tradition. S.S. Bhusanurematha's Bhavyamanava (1983) is the latest in that tradition.^[1] Based on medieval Kannada literary sources, the Indologist Anthony Warder claims there were Kannada versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata prior to 941 C.E., and Kavya (or Mahakavya, epic poems) such as Karnataka Kumarasambhava by Asaga (c. 850).^[2] According to the Kannada scholar R. Narasimhacharya, Chandraprabhapurana by Sri Vijaya, (court poet of King Amoghavarsha I) dates to the early 9th century.^[3] This list is by no means exhaustive. In addition to the epics listed here, there are numerous epics written 'in part' (called khanda or mahatmaya) starting with the part rendering of the Skanda-purana by Kumarapadmarasa in c. 1180.^[4] According to Rao,

Though it followed the Sanskrit tradition of the Mahakavya and drew its material from Sanskrit works, even in the earliest stages, the Kannada epic was neither derivative nor imitative. It has developed the Valmiki and the Vyasa traditions in its own distinctive ways, and has, in the Jain and Virashaiva epics, presented new pictures of human greatness and destiny. In the pre-modern period, Kannada produced at least two works - Pampa Bharata (c.941) and Kumaravyasa Bharata (c.1425) - which can rank among the epics of the world.^[5]

The list

Famous epics in the Kannada language

Faith	Epic	Author	Year (A.D.)	Patron
Jainism	Adipurana[3][6][7]	Adikavi Pampa	939	Rashtrakuta Empire
Secular	Vikramarjuna Vijaya (Pampa Bharatha)[3][6][7]	Adikavi Pampa	941	Rashtrakuta Empire
Jainism	Shantipurana[3][6][8]	Sri Ponna	950	Rashtrakuta Empire
Jainism	Trisastilaksanamahapurana[3][6][9]	Chamundaraya	978	Western Ganga Dynasty
Jainism	Ajitapurana[3][6][7]	Ranna	993	Western Chalukya Empire
Secular	Saahasabhima Vijaya (Gadayuddha)[3][6][7]	Ranna	1000	Western Chalukya Empire
Jainism	Varadhamanapurana[10][11]	Nagavarma II	1042	Western Chalukya Empire
Jainism	Mallinathapurana[7][12][13]	Nagachandra	1105	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Ramachandracharitapurana[7][12][13]	Nagachandra	1105	Hoysala Empire
Shaivism	Girijakalyana[14][15][16]	Harihara	1160	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Neminathapurana[7][16][17]	Nemichandra	1170	Hoysala Empire
Vaishnavism	Jagannathavijaya[14][16][18]	Rudrabhatta	1180	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Chandraprabhapurana[16][19]	Aggala	1189	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Varadhamanapurana[19][20]	Achanna	1195	Yadavas of Devagiri
Jainism	Yashodharacharite[7][16][21]	Janna	1209	Hoysala Empire
Secular	Harishchandrakavya[14][16][22]	Raghavanka	1220	Hoysala Empire
Shaivism	Siddharamapurana[14][22][23]	Raghavanka	1220	Hoysala Empire
Shaivism	Somanathacharite[22][24]	Raghavanka	13th century	Hoysala Empire
Shaivism	Viresvara Charita[22][24]	Raghavanka	13th century	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Ananthanathapurana[7][16][25]	Janna	1230	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Pushpadantapurana[16][19][26]	Gunavarma II	1235	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Santisvarapurana[19][20]	Kamalabhava	1235	Yadavas of Devagiri
Jainism	Neminathapurana[19][27]	Mahabalakavi	1254	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Kumudendu Ramayana[25][28][29]	Kumudendu	1275	Hoysala Empire
Jainism	Purvapurana (Adipurana)[30][31]	Hastimalla	13th century	Hoysala Empire
Shaivism	Basavapurana[22][29][32]	Bhima Kavi	1369	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Dharmanathapurana[33][34]	Madhura	1385	Vijayanagara Empire
Secular	Padmaraja purana[35][36]	Padmananka	1385	Vijayanagara Empire
Vaishnavism	Gadugina Bharata (Kumaravyasa Bharata)[14][18][37]	Kumaravyasa, Timmanna Kavi	1425, 1510	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Prabhulingaleele[14][37][38]	Chamarasa	1425	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Singirajapurana (Mala-Basavarajacharita)[38][39]	Singiraja	1500	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Saundara purana[39][40]	Bommarasa	15th century	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Revanasiddhesvara Purana[39][40][41]	Chaturmukha Bommarasa	1500	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Trisashti puratanara charite (Lingapurana)[37][42]	Surangakavi	1500	Vijayanagara Empire
Vaishnavism	Torave Ramayana[37][43][44]	Kumara Valmiki (Narahari)	1500	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Nemi-Jinesa purana[33][45]	Manjarasa III	1508	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Shantinathapurana[33]	Santikirti	1519	Vijayanagara Empire
Vaishnavism	Bhagavatha purana[44][46][47]	Chatu Vitthalanatha	1520	Vijayanagara Empire
Secular	Ramanatha Charite (Kumararama Charite)[32][37]	Nanjunda Kavi	1525	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Virasaivamritapurana[37][48]	Mallanarya of Gubbi	1530	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Mahadevi Akkanapurana[37][48]	Chennabasavanka	16th century	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Salva Bharata[34][49][50]	Salva	1550	Vijayanagara Empire
Vaishnavism	Ramavijayacharitra[28]	Devappa Kavi	1550	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Chandraprabhapurana[33][51]	Doddayya	1550	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Bharatesha Vaibhava[32][34][52]	Ratnakaravarni	1557	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Siddhesvarapurana[18][39]	Virakta Tontadarya	1560	Vijayanagara Empire
Jainism	Chandraprabhapurana[33]	Doddananka	1578	Vijayanagara Empire
Shaivism	Channabasavapurana[32][38][52]	Virupaksha Pandita	1584	Vijayanagara Empire
Vaishnavism	Chamarajokti Vilasa(Ramayana)[53][54]	King Chamaraja Wodeyar V	1617-1637	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Advita Ramayana[55]	Nijagunarya	1650	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Bhagavatgita[56][57][58]	Nagarasa of Pandharpur	1650
Vaishnavism	Markandeya Ramayana[59][60]	Timmarasa	1650	Mysore Kingdom
Secular	Rajashekara Vilasa[61][62][63]	Shadaksharadeva	1655	Mysore Kingdom
Shaivism	Basavarajavijaya (Vrishabhendra Vijaya)[32][61][63]	Shadaksharadeva	1671	Mysore Kingdom
Shaivism	Shabarashankara Vilasa[61][63][64]	Shadaksharadeva	1671	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Vishnupurana[61][65][66]	Chikkaupadhyaya	1672	Mysore Kingdom
Jainism	Ramachandra Charitre[67][68]	Chandrashekara, Padmanabha	1700	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Jaiminibharata[32][44][61]	Lakshmisha	1700	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Ramabhyudaya-Kathakusumamanjari[59][68][69]	Timmamatya (Timmarya)	1700	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Bharata[59][68]	Lakshmakavi	1728	Mysore Kingdom
Shaivism	Lingapurana[42]	Kalale Nanjaraja	1732	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Ramayana[70][71]	Venkamatya	1770	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Kaushika Ramayana[70][72]	Bathaleshvara	1770	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Shankara Ramayana[73]	Timmanna	18th century	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Adhyatma Ramayana[73]	Shankaranarayana	18th century	Mysore Kingdom
Vaishnavism	Mulabala Ramayana[73]	Haridasa	18th century	Mysore Kingdom
Jainism	Jinaramayana[28][74][75]	Chandrasagaravarni	1810	Princely Mysore
Jainism	Ramakathavatara[28][74][76]	Devachandra	~1838	Princely Mysore
Secular	Sangoli Rayana Dange (folk)[77][78]	John Faithfull Fleet	1874	Bombay Presidency
Vaishnavism	Adbhuta Ramayana (prose)[72][79][80]	Muddanna	1885	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Shri Ramashwamedha(prose)[81][82]	Muddanna	1896	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Mahabharata (prose)[83]	Alasingrachar	1912	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Ramayana (prose)[84]	Alasingrachar	1912	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Mahabharata (prose)[83]	V.K.Galaganatha	1933	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Sri Ramayana Darshanam[32][81][85]	Kuvempu	1949	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Vachanabharata (prose)[86]	A.R.Krishnashastry	1950	Princely Mysore
Vaishnavism	Ramayana (prose)[84]	V. Sitaram Shastri	1960	Mysore state, India
Vaishnavism	Ramavatara (prose)[84]	S. Krishna Sharma	1965	Mysore state, India
Vaishnavism	Sriramapattabhisheka[32][81][87]	Masti Venkatesha Iyengar	1972	Mysore state, India
Secular	Bharatasindhu rashmi[88][89]	V.K. Gokak	1982	Karnataka state, India
Secular	Bhavyamanava[88]	S.S.Bhusanurematha	1983	Karnataka state, India

Extinct epics in the Kannada language known from quotes and references by later writers

Faith	Epic	Author	Year	Patron
Jainism	Chandraprabhapurana[90]	Srivijaya	early 9th century	Rashtrakuta Empire
Jainism	Karnata Kumarasambhava[91][92][93]	Asaga	853	Rashtrakuta Empire
Jainism	Harivamsha (Neminathapurana)[91][93][94][95]	Gunavarma I	900	Western Ganga Dynasty
Jainism	Shudraka[91][93][94][95]	Gunavarma I	900	Western Ganga Dynasty
Secular	Bhuvanaika-Ramabhyudaya (Ramakatha)[6][8][96]	Sri Ponna	950	Rashtrakuta Empire
Jainism	Parasurama Charita[6][97]	Ranna	980-990	Western Ganga Dynasty
Jainism	Chakreshvara Charita[6][98]	Ranna	980-990	Western Ganga Dynasty
Jainism	ShantinathaPurana	Ranna	980-990	Western Ganga Dynasty
Shaivism	Hariharamahatva[22][24]	Raghavanka	early 13th century	Hoysala Empire
Shaivism	Sharabacharite[22][24]	Raghavanka	early 13th century	Hoysala Empire

See also

• Lists of Manipuri epics

Notes

1. Rao in Datta (1988), pp1180-1183, chapter-Epic(Kannada)
2. Warder (1988), p240, pp247-248
3. Narasimhacharya (1988), p18
4. Parameshwaranand (2001), vol 4 (M-R), pp1059-1074, p1061
5. Rao in Datta (1988), p1183
6. Sastri (1955), p356
7. Rao in Datta (1988), p1180, chapter-Epic(Kannada)
8. Mukherjee (1999), p291
9. Parameshwaranand (2001), p674, vol3 (I-L)
10. Pollock (2006), p. 340, p. 349
11. Nagaraj (2003), p. 327
12. Sastri (1955), pp357–358
13. Narasimhacharya (1988), p19
14. Rao in Datta (1988), p1181, chapter-Epic(Kannada)
15. Sastri (1955), pp361–362
16. Narasimhacharya, (1988), p20
17. Sastri (1955), p358
18. Sastri (1955), p364
19. Rice, E.P. (1921), p43
20. Kamath (1980), pp143-144
21. Sastri (1955), pp358–359
22. Sastri (1955), p362
23. Rice E.P. (1921), pp60-61
24. Shiva Prakash (1997), p. 207
25. Sastri (1955), p359
26. Mukherjee (1999), p301
27. Joseph P.M. (1997), Jainism in South India, p260, ISBN 8185692238
28. Moily (2010), p4, introduction
29. Narasimhacharya (1988), p21
30. Singh (2001), p. 975
31. Rocher Ludo, History of Indian Literature-The Puranas, vol 2, p76, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, 1986
32. Rao in Datta (1988), p1182, chapter-Epic(Kannada)
33. Rice E.P.(1921), p.46
34. Sastri (1955), p360
35. Narasimhacharya (1988), p.21
36. Kotraiah in Sinaoli (2003), p131
37. Narasimhacharya (1988), p22
38. Sastri (1955), p363
39. Narasimacharya (1988), p22
40. Puranik in Mohan Lal (1992), p4003
41. Rice E.P. (1921), p69
42. Parameshwaranand (2001), Volume 4 (M-R), p1063
43. Richman (2008), p17
44. Sastri (1955), p365
45. Sharma, Sita Ram (1992), p17, Encyclopaedia of teaching languages in India, New Delhi : Anmol Publications
46. Rice (1921), p79
47. Parmeshwaranand (2001), Volume 4 (M-R), p1064
48. Puranic, Siddya in Mohan Lal (1992), p4004
49. Shiva Prakash in Ayyappapanicker (1997), p212
50. Rice E.P. (1921), p47
51. Joseph P.M. (1997), Jainism in South India, p287, ISBN 8185692238
52. Narasimhacharya (1988), p23
53. Parameshwaranand (2001), Volume 4 (M-R), p1060
54. Kamath (1980), p227
55. Krishnamoorthy & Mukhopadhyay (1991), p96
56. Puranik in Mohan Lal (1992), p4004
57. Mukherjee (1999), p.165
58. Narasimhacharya (1988), p. 24
59. Rice E.P. (1921), p92
60. I M Muthanna (1977), p216, Karnataka, history, administration & culture, Bangalore, Lotus Printers
61. Narasimhacharya (1988), p24
62. Rice E.P. (1921), p84
63. Yaravintelimath in Mohan Lal (1992), p3934
64. Sahitya Akademi (1987), p.620
65. Parameshwaranand (2001), Volume 4 (M-R), p1061
66. Rice E.P. (1921), p91
67. Rice E.P. (1921), p93
68. Narasimhacharya (1988), p25
69. Krishnamoorthy & Mukhopadhyay (1991), p97
70. Brockington (1998), p501
71. Krishnamoorthy & Mukhopadhyay (1991), p98
72. Ashton and Christie (1977), p27
73. Śrīhari, Caurirācan̲, Gōpālakrṣṇa (2003), p245, chapter-Ramayanas in Kannada literature
74. Narasimhacharya (1988), p26
75. Krishnamoorthy & Mukhopadhyay (1991), p92
76. Sinha (2013), p186
77. Murthy in K.M. George (1992), pp168
78. Prashad (2001), page xiii, chapter-Kannada folk epics, a profile
79. Murthy in K.M. George (1992), pp170
80. Krishnamoorthy & Mukhopadhyay (1991), p94
81. Moily (2010), p5, introduction
82. Murthy in K.M. George (1992), p170
83. Krishnamoorthy in Amaresh Datta (1987), p37
84. Krishnamoorthy in Amaresh Datta (1987), p39
85. Murthy in K.M. George (1992), p174
86. Krishnamoorthy in Amaresh Datta (1987), p38
87. Murthy in K.M. George (1992), p178
88. Rao in Datta (1988), p1183, chapter-Epic(Kannada)
89. K.M. George (1992), p672
90. Narasimhacharya (1988), pp.17-18
91. Dash & Pattanaik in Paul St-Pierre & Prafulla C. Kar, (2007), p.167
92. Warder A.K. (1988), p.241
93. Sahitya Akademi (1987), pp618-619
94. Warder A.K. (1988), p240
95. Rice E.P. (1921), p30
96. Garg (1992), p67
97. Kamath (1980), p114
98. Kamath (1980), p45

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