Rudrabhatta (1182 CE) was a poet belonging to the Bhagavata class of poets of Kannada literature. He is best known for his poetic composition Jagannatha Vijayam. A versatile poet, he wrote in Kannada as well as in Sanskrit. He lived in the court of Virabattala (12th century CE) of the Hoysala dynasty. Later poets, such as Caundarasa (1300 CE), Satva (1550 CE) and Cikkupadhyaya (1672 CE) have quoted stanzas from ‘Jagannatha Vijayam’ in their works.
The poet’s chief aim in this composition is to seek knowledge through devotion (bhakti), like most Bhagavata poets. He considers bhakti as very effective in bringing out the essence of poetry.
The poet’s chief aim in this composition is to seek knowledge through devotion (bhakti), like most Bhagavata poets. He considers bhakti as very effective in bringing out the essence of poetry.
Jagannatha Vijayam consists of eighteen chapters. The poet begins his work with prayers to Krishna, Brahma, Rudra, Surya, Ganapati and Saraswati. The composition proper commences with the birth of Sri Krishna and ends with the slaying of Salva, a demon. Besides devoting a considerable part of his work to prayers to Sri Krishna, the poet makes use of other characters in his composition, such as Akrura, Aditi, and Brahma for praising Bhagavan, and describes all ten avatars of Vishnu.
Rudrabhatta describes vividly the feats of Bhagvan, missing no opportunity to praise him and express his devotion to him. The rhythmic, soft and sweet language flows like the waves of the ocean, adding charm and beauty to the poetic expression and felicity. Like most other saint-poets of the Bhagavata tradition, Rudrabhatta seems to be fully immersed in his devotion to Bhagavan, singing his praises and eulogizing his various forms and feats.