History of Classical Sanskrit Literature c19.s3.1

c19.s3.1

**218.** **Basava**, the founder of the Veeraśaiva cult of the Lingāyats, was the prime minister of the Kalacuri King Bhijjala who came to the throne at Kalyan in 1156 A.D.¹⁹ The tradition is that the sect was founded by five ascetics—Ekorāma, Paṇḍitārādhya, Revaṇa, Marula, Visvārādhya—who are held to have sprung from the five heads of Śiva, incarnate age after age. These are regarded as very ancient, and Basava is said to have been but the reviver of the faith.¹ Yet the early literature shows that the five were all his contemporaries, some older, some younger.² In the poem Basaveśavijaya,³ Śaṅkarārādhya describes his life, and so does Somanātha in his Basavapurāṇa,⁴ and Basavanagadya. Somanātha also wrote a poem Paṇḍitārādhyacarita on the life of Paṇḍitārādhya, the Liṅgayat Guru. Somanātha (Palkurki), of Bhṛṅgiritagotra and son of Guruliṅga, lived in the time of King Pratāparudra I (1140-1196 A.D.).⁵