Ashtadiggajas

For the Hindu mythological eight elephants, see World Elephant.

Asthadiggajas in the Imperial court of Sri Krishnadevaraya.

Ashtadiggajas (Telugu: అష్టదిగ్గజులు) is the collective title given to the eight great Telugu scholars and poets in the court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign, Telugu literature and culture reached its zenith. In his imperial court, these eight poets were regarded as the eight pillars of his literary assembly. The age of Ashtadiggajas is called the Prabandha Age (1540 CE to 1600 CE).[1] Each Ashtadiggaja had composed at least one Prabandha Kavyamu, and it was the Ashtadiggajas who gave Prabandha its present form.[2] Most Ashtadiggajas were from Rayalaseema.[2] The Ashtadiggajas Allasani Peddana, Dhurjati, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana and Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu were from Rayalaseema. Pandit Ramakrishna hailed from Tenali in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Ramarajabhushanudu and Pingali Surana were the other two Ashtadiggajas.

  1. ^ "Prabandhamulu". Microsoft. Archived from the original on 11 February 2008.
  2. ^ a b Adluri, Seshu Madhava Rao (1998). "aShTadiggajamulu (Introduction)". mun.ca. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 29 February 2008.