(12th century)
Poet-saint and religious leader of the Lingayat religious group, a bhakti
(devotional) religion centered on Shiva's worship as the one ultimate deity and
the rejection of all caste rules.
The Lingayats originated in Karnataka, a southern Indian
state where they still have a sizable population.
The Kannada language is used to compose the collections of
poetry that make up their most significant religious writings.
Mahadeviyakka was a contemporary of Basavanna and Allama
Prabhu, and the suffix akka ("older sister") indicates her status in
the group.
She was dedicated to Shiva from an early age, according to
legend, and regarded him to be her genuine spouse.
This created major issues during a short, miserable marriage
between a carnally minded guy and a lady who refused to have a human lover.
She ultimately left her spouse, walking around nude as a
message that she had let go of all ties.
She was subsequently linked to the Lingayats, also known as
the "Lord's soldiers." The love for Shiva, sometimes as her husband
and sometimes as her adulterous lover, runs through much of her poems, both
depicting her difficulties with the world.
For further details, check A. K. Ramanujan's 1973 book
Speaking of Shiva.
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