Raghavanka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Late 12th century |
| Died | Early 13th century |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, writer |
| Works | Harishchandra Kavya (magnum opus) |
Raghavanka (Kannada: ರಾಘವಾಂಕ) was a noted Kannada writer and a poet in the Hoysala court who flourished in the late 12th to early 13th century. Raghavanka is credited for popularizing the use of the native shatpadi metre (hexa metre, 6 line verse) in Kannada literature.[1] Harishchandra Kavya, in shatpadi metre, is known to have been written with an interpretation unlike any other on the life of King Harishchandra is well known and is considered one of the important classics of Kannada language. He was a nephew and protégé of the noted Early 12-century Kannada poet Harihara.[2][3] Although the shatpadi metre tradition existed in Kannada literature prior to Raghavanka, Raghavanka inspired the usage of the flexible metre for generations of poets, both Shaiva (devotees of God Shiva) and Vaishnava (devotees of God Vishnu) to come.[4]