Ranna ( kn, ರನ್ನ) was one of the earliest and arguably one of the greatest poets of the
Kannada language
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native sp ...
. His style of writing is often compared to that of
Adikavi Pampa who wrote in the early 10th century. Together, Ranna, Adikavi Pampa and
Sri Ponna
Ponna ( kn, ಪೊನ್ನ) (c. 945) was a noted Kannada poet in the court of Rashtrakuta Dynasty king Krishna III (r.939–968 CE). The emperor honoured Ponna with the title "emperor among poets" (''Kavichakravarthi'') for his ...
are called "three gems of ancient
Kannada literature
Kannada literature is the Text corpus, corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian language, Dravidian Language family, family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script.
A ...
".
Biography
Ranna was a 10th-century
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
poet. He was born in 949 C.E. in ancient Belagali, known now as
RannaBelagali in the
Bagalkot district of the modern
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
state in India, to a family of bangle sellers.
Literature
During his early days as a writer, Ranna may have been patronised by
Chavundaraya
Chavundraya or Chamundaraya (Kannada ''Cāmuṇḍarāya, Cāvuṇḍarāya'', 940–989) was an Indian military commander, architect, poet and minister. He served in the court of the Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad (in modern Karnataka, In ...
(or Chavundaraya), the famous minister of the
Western Ganga Dynasty
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...
. With the rise of the imperial
Western Chalukya Empire
The Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the Deccan Plateau, western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This Kannada people, Kannadiga dynasty is sometimes called the ''Kalyani Chalukya'' after its regal capital at Kalya ...
, Ranna became an important poet in the court of King
Tailapa II
Tailapa II (r. c. 973-997), also known as Taila II and by his title ''Ahavamalla'', was the founder of the Western Chalukya dynasty in southern India. Tailapa claimed descent from the earlier Chalukyas of Vatapi, and initially ruled as a Rashtr ...
and his successor King
Satyashraya
Satyashraya (; ), also known as Sattiga or Irivabedanga, was a king of the Western Chalukya Empire. During a time of consolidation of the empire in the early 11th century, Satyashraya was involved in several battles with the Chola dynasty of Th ...
who bestowed upon him the title ''Kavi Chakravarti'' (''lit'', "Emperor among poets").
The writings of Ranna are in ''Halegannada'' (''lit'', "old Kannada"). Of the five known major works accomplished by him, two are available in full and one in part. They are: ''
Ajitha purana
The Ajita Purana was written by Ranna (Kannada poet), Ranna in 993 CE narrates the story of Ajitanatha, the second ''tirthankara'' of Jainism. This is the shortest in the Kannada language. It narrates two stories of the previous births of the ...
'', ''Parashuramacharithe'' (extinct), ''Saahasabhima Vijaya'' (also known as ''Gadaayuddha''), ''Rannakanda'' and ''Chakresvaracharite'' (extinct).
Ajitha Purana
The Ajita Purana was written by Ranna (Kannada poet), Ranna in 993 CE narrates the story of Ajitanatha, the second ''tirthankara'' of Jainism. This is the shortest in the Kannada language. It narrates two stories of the previous births of the ...
(993 C.E.) is a Jain ''
champu
Champu or Chapu-Kavya ( Devanagari: चम्पू-काव्य) is a genre of literary composition in Indian literature. The word 'Champu' means a combination of poetry and prose. A ''champu-kavya'' consists of a mixture of prose (Gadya ...
'' (a form of composition) ''
purana
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
'' written in twelve sections on the life of
Ajitanatha
Ajitanath (lit. invincible) was the second ''tirthankara'' of the present age, ''avasarpini'' (half time cycle) according to Jainism. He was born to King Jitashatru and Queen Vijaya at Ayodhya in the Ikshvaku dynasty. He was a liberated soul w ...
, the second ''
Tirthankar''. Ranna wrote this ''purana'' under the patronage of a Jain lady called
Attimabbe
Attimabbe (950-1020) was a noblewoman of the Western Chalukya Empire.
She was born at Punganur of Chittoor district in Andhra pradesh. She was the daughter of Feudatory Mallapa of chalukya king Tailapa II, and Ponnamayya. Attimabbe’s Father ...
, the wife of general Nagavarma. ''RannaKanda'' (990 C.E.), so called because it is written in the ''Kanda'' meter, is the earliest extant dictionary in the Kannada language. Only twelve sections of this writing are available. ''Parusharama Charite'' (around 980 C.E.) is a eulogy of the Ganga minister and commander Chamundaraya. The poet held his patron in such high esteem that he claims to have named his son "raya" in honor of his patron (who had the honorific ''Samara Parashurama'').
''Saahasabhimavijaya'' or ''Gadayuddha'' (''lit'', "The duel of maces") is undoubtedly Ranna's
magnum opus
A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
that was accomplished in an age of writings on "heroism", that describe the valor of important personalities (''vira rasa'' and ''roudrarasa''). Written around 1000 C.E. (though some scholars believe it was a product of a more youthful Ranna), it is one of the enduring classics of the language where the poet compares the valor of his patron Chalukya King Satyashraya to the
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
prince
Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
of the Hindu epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
. Ranna keeps with the trend started by Adikavi Pampa who in 941 C.E. compared his patron Chalukya King Arikesari (a
Rashtrakuta
Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...
vassal) to the Pandava prince
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
in the classic ''Vikramarjunavijaya'' (also called ''Pampa Bharata''). While acknowledging that Ranna may have found some inspiration from earlier writings such as ''Urubhanga'' of Bhasa and ''Venisamhara'' or Bhattanarayana, scholars concede that ''Gadayuddha'' has an originality of its own. Modern scholars see similarities between Ranna's usage of the "adult imps" (called ''murulgal'') that stalk the battlefield of
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra (, ) is a city and administrative headquarter of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is also known as Dharmakshetra ("Realm of duty ") and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita".
Legends
According to the Pura ...
and warn
Kaurava
''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wif ...
prince
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...
(Bhima's adversary in battle) about his impending death, and the description of witches by latter day famed English playwright,
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. Some scholars believe that ''Gadayuddha'' may have been conceived as a play before being completed as a ''champukavya'' (epic poem in ''
kavya'' style and ''
champu
Champu or Chapu-Kavya ( Devanagari: चम्पू-काव्य) is a genre of literary composition in Indian literature. The word 'Champu' means a combination of poetry and prose. A ''champu-kavya'' consists of a mixture of prose (Gadya ...
'' meter).
While the theme of the narration centers around the battle of maces between Bhima and Duryodhana on the last day of the eighteen-day war, the poet uses a technique similar to flashbacks in modern cinema to enlighten the reader with important events that led to the war and those events that transpired on the battlefield. Bhima is undoubtedly the hero of the day for slaying his foe and thus avenging the insult suffered by his wife
Draupadi
Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothers ...
at the hands of Dushshasana (Duryodhana's brother) prior to the war. However, Ranna skillfully depicts Duryodhana as a "great soul" (''mahanubhava''), who despite his sins, was a brave ''
kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
'' on the battlefield, and a true friend to
Karna
Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
(another important character in the epic).
See also
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranna
History of Karnataka
Kannada poets
949 births
1020 deaths
People from Bagalkot
10th-century Indian Jain poets
Poets from Karnataka
Indian male poets
10th-century Indian poets