Lakshmisha

Lakshmisa (or Lakshmisha, Kannada: ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀಶ) was a noted Kannada language Brahmin writer who lived during the mid–16th or late–17th century period. His most important writing, Jaimini Bharata is a version of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The writing focuses on the events following the battle of Indraprastha between the Pandavas and Kauravas, using the Ashvamedha ("horse sacrifice") conducted by Yudhishthira as the topic of the epic narrative. The writing is in the shatpadi metre (hexa-metre, 6 line verse) and was inspired by the Sanskrit original written by sage Jaimini.

The place, time and religious sect that Lakshmisa belonged to has been a subject of controversy among historians. Some historians believe he was a native of Devanur in modern Kadur taluk, Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka state. It is claimed that his family deity was "Lakshmiramana" (a form of Hindu God Vishnu) to whom he dedicated his writing. Devanur was called by multiple names in his writing; Surapura and Girvanapura. Other historians feel Surapura is located in the erstwhile Hyderabad region. Some historians believe that Lakshmisa was an Advaitin or a Smartha Brahmin (believer of monistic philosophy) of the Bhagavata sect because the poet has invoked the names of Hindu God Shiva, his consort Parvati and son Ganapati in the beginning of his writing. However, despite these invocations, he may have been a Srivaishnava (a follower of the Visishtadvaita philosophy preached by 12th century philosopher Ramanujacharya), there being examples of other Srivaishnava poets (who wrote in Kannada) who praised the God Shiva, Parvati and Ganapati in their writings.

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