Vachana sahitya

[1] They were composed in Kannada by saints of the Lingayat faith, most notably Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, and Allama Prabhu.

[2] Vachanas critique rituals and caste discrimination, advocating a form of worship centered on Shiva, envisioned as a universal god.

The Vachanas are characterized by their straightforward language and direct expression of spiritual ideas, making complex philosophical concepts accessible to the common people.

This was a significant departure from the Sanskrit-dominated literary scene of the time, which was largely inaccessible to the general populace.

Kannada: ಉಳ್ಳವರು ಶಿವಾಲಯ ಮಾಡುವರು ನಾನೇನು ಮಾಡಲಿ ಬಡವನಯ್ಯಾ ಎನ್ನ ಕಾಲೇ ಕಂಬ, ದೇಹವೇ ದೇಗುಲ, ಶಿರವೇ ಹೊನ್ನ ಕಳಸವಯ್ಯಾಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವಾ ಕೇಳಯ್ಯಾ, ಸ್ಥಾವರಕ್ಕಳಿವುಂಟು ಜಂಗಮಕ್ಕಳಿವಿಲ್ಲ , uḷḷavaru shivālaya māduvaru nānēnu mādali badavanayyā enna kāle kambha dehavē degula shiravē honna kaḷashavayyā kūdalasangamadevā keLayya sthavarakkaḷivunṭu jangamakaḷivilla The rich will make temples for Shiva.