List of Karnataka literature


This is a list of historical and modern Karnataka literature, arranged in chronological order of the historical polity or era from which the works originated. Karnataka literature originates from the Karnataka region of South India, which roughly corresponds to the modern state of Karnataka.
This list includes, but is not limited to, works written in the Sanskrit and Kannada languages. Where information is available, the author or authors of the text are listed, followed by the title of the text and the language or languages in which the text is written. Multiple works by the same author are listed separately.

[Western Ganga Dynasty] (350–1000)

Rashtrakuta Dynasty">Rashtrakuta dynasty">Rashtrakuta Dynasty (753–982)

  • Trivikrama – Nalachampu
  • Halayudha – Kavirahasya
  • Halayudha – Mritasanjivini
  • Somadevasuri – Nitikavyamrita
  • Mahaviracharya – Ganita-Sara-Samgraha
  • Virasenacharya – Jayadhavala-Tika
  • Jinasenacharya – Parsvabhyudaya ''Mahapurana
  • Jinasenacharya – Dhavala
  • Gunabhadra – Uttarapurana
  • Asaga – Vardhamana Purana
  • Amoghavarsha I – Prashottara Ratnamakike
  • Amoghavarsha I – Kavirajamarga
  • Sri Ponna – Bhuvanaika-Ramabhyudaya
  • Sri Ponna – Santipurana
  • Sri Ponna – Jinaksaramale
  • Adikavi Pampa – Adipurana
  • Adikavi Pampa – Vikramarjuna Vijaya
  • Shivakotiacharya – Vaddaradhane''

Seuna (Yadava) Dynasty">Seuna (Yadava) dynasty">Seuna (Yadava) Dynasty (860–1317)

  • Kamalabhava – Santhishwarapurana
  • Achanna – Varadhamanapurana
  • Chundarasa of Pandharapura – ''Dashakumara Charite''

[Western Chalukya Empire] (973–1189)

  • Ranna – Ajitapurana
  • Ranna – Sahasabhimavijaya
  • Ranna – Gadayuddha
  • Ranna – Rannakanda
  • Chavundaraya II – Lokopakara
  • Chandraraja – Madanatilaka
  • Shridharacharya – Jatakatilaka
  • Kirtivarma – Govaidya
  • Durgasimha – Panchatantra
  • Nagavarma – Kavyavalokana
  • Brahmashiva – Samayaparikshe
  • Vadiraja – Yashodharacharitam
  • Vadiraja – Parshvanatha Charitam
  • Bilhana – Vikramankadeva Charitha
  • Vijananeshvara – Mitakshara
  • Someshwara III – Abhilashithartha Chinthamani or Manasollasa
  • Someshwara III – Chandraprabhacharite
  • Jagadekamalla – Sangithachudamani
  • Jagaddala Somanatha – Karnataka Kalyanakaraka
  • Karnaparya – Neminatha Purana
  • Nayasena – Dharmamrita
  • Brahmasiva – Samayaparikshe
  • Shantiraja – Sukumaracharita
  • Vritta Vilasa – Translation of Sanskrit text Dharama Parikshe
  • Nagavarma II – Kavyavalokana
  • Nagavarma II – Bhashabhushana
  • Nagavarma II – ''Abhidana Vastukosha''

[Hoysala Empire] (950–1343)

  • Madhvacharya – Sarvamula Granthas
  • Vidyatirtha – Rudraprashnabhashya
  • Nagachandra – Ramachandra Charitapurana
  • Nagachandra – Mallinathapurana
  • Harihara – Girija Kalyana
  • Harihara – Basavarajadevara Ragale
  • Raghavanka – Harischandra Kavya
  • Raghavanka – Siddhara Chanitra
  • Raghavanka – Veeresha Charite
  • Raghavanka – Sharabha Charitre
  • Raghavanka – Somanathacharita
  • Raghavanka – Harihara Mahatwa
  • Janna – Yashodhara Charite
  • Janna – Ananthanatha Purana
  • Nemichandra – Leelavati
  • Nemichandra – Neminatha Purana
  • Achanna – Vardhamana Purana
  • Rudrabhatta – Jagannatha Vijaya
  • Mallikarjuna – Sukti
  • Mallikarjuna – Sudharnava
  • Kesiraja – Shabdamanidarpana
  • Hastimalla – Adipurana
  • Andayya – Vardhamana Purana
  • Andayya – Kabbigarakava
  • Choundarasa – Abhinava Dasha Kumara Charitha
  • Choundarasa – Nala Champu
  • Rajaditya – Kshetraganita
  • Rajaditya – Vyavaharaganita
  • Rajaditya – Lilavati
  • Ratta Kavi – Rata-Mata
  • Bandhuvarma – Neminatha Purana
  • Bandhuvarma – Harivamsha
  • Mahabalakavi – Neminatha Purana
  • Padmarasa – Dikshabodhe
  • Hastimalla – Adipurana
  • Trivikrama – Ushaharana
  • Narayana Pandita – Madhwavijaya
  • Narayana Pandita – Manimanjari
  • Narayana Pandita – Parijataharana
  • Vidyacharkarvartin II – ''Rukminikalyana''

Kalachuri dynasty">Kalachuris of Kalyani">Kalachuri dynasty (1164–1181), [Virashaiva] Saints and [Vachana]karas

  • Basavanna
  • Madivala Machayya
  • Madara Channayya
  • Sakalesha Madarasa
  • Ramanna
  • Sujikayakada Ramitande
  • Medara Ketayya
  • Kayakada Basappa
  • Virupaksha Pandita –
  • Dharani Pandita –
  • Chandrasagara Varni

[Vijayanagara Empire] (1336–1646), Kannada Haridasa Sahitya

  • Kumara Vyasa
  • Narahri or Kumara Valmiki
  • Vittalanatha – Kannada
  • Ratnakarvarni – Kannada
  • Nanjunda – Kumara Rama Charita – Kannada
  • BhimaKavi – Basavapurana – Kannada
  • Padmanaka – Kannada
  • Kereya Padmarasa – Padmaraja Purana – Kannada
  • Lakkana Dandesa Shivatatwa Chintamani – Kannada
  • Gubbi Mallanacharya – Veerasaivamrita – Kannada
  • Singiraja – Kannada
  • Chamarasa – Kannada
  • Akalanka, Jain scholar – Kannada
  • Bhattakalaka – Kannada grammarian
  • Mangaraja – Kannada
  • Sayana – Sanskrit
  • Madhava Vidyaranya – Sanskrit
  • Devanna Bhatta – Sanskrit
  • Gangadevi – Sanskrit
  • Tirumalamba Devi – Sanskrit
  • Krishnadevaraya
  • Timmanna Kavi, patronised by king Krishnadevaraya, Kannada
  • Kereya Padmarasa, Padmaraja Purana – Kannada
  • Linganna, Keladinripavijayam – Kannada
  • Unknown author, Krishnadevarayana Dinachari is a recent discovery in Kannada.
  • Chatu Vithalanatha, Kannada
  • Madhura, Kannada
  • Salva
  • Mallanarya, Veerasaivamrita – Kannada
  • Lakkana Dandesa, Shivatatwa Chintamani – Kannada
  • Shivagna Prasadi Mahadevayya and Halageyadeva, Shunya Sampadane – Kannada
  • Kallumathada Prabhuva – Kannada
  • Jakkanna – Kannada
  • Maggeya Mayideva – Kannada
  • Tontada Siddalingayati – Kannada
Haridasa

Later Haridasa

Kannada literature from [Mysore Kingdom], [Keladi Nayaka] kingdom

Kannada literature from old Bangalore (18th century – 20th century)

18th-century Kannada
  • Guru Nanjesh
  • Ekambara Dikshit
  • Jayaram Pande
  • Mudduveeraswamy
  • Sarpabhooshana Shivayogi
  • Mahant Desika
  • Jeerage Basavalingacharya
19th-century Kannada
  • Siddhanti Velanada
  • Subramanya Shastri
  • Siddhanti Shivakumara Shastri
  • Srinivasa
  • Nagasharma
  • Dakshinamurthy Shastri
  • Padmaraja Bhramasuri
  • Ramanathapuram Raguraya
  • S. N. Narasimhaiah
  • Doddabele Narayana Shastri – commentary on Jaimini Bharatha, Sundarakhanda, translations of Kalidasa works
20th-century Kannada
  • Bidare Ashwatha Narayana shastri
  • B. Puttiah
  • Panyam Sudarashastri
  • S.K. Nasasimhaiya
  • Toppulu Raghavacharya
  • Mahant desika
  • Balasaraswati
  • Mahadevaswamy
  • Pt. Shivakumar Swamy
  • Siddalingaswamy of Beli Matha
  • Nanjundaswamy of Guruvanna Matha
  • Pt. B. Shivamurty Shastri
20th-century Sanskrit Keerthanakaras
  • Singeri NarasimhaShastri
  • M. Lakshminarasimha Shastri
  • Varada Desikachar
  • Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Rariapalli Anantha Krishna Sharma
  • Motaganahalli Subramanya Shastri
20th-century harikathe dasaru
  • Gururajulu Naidu
  • Sant Keshava Das
  • Bhadragiri Achuth Das
  • Malur Sonnappa
  • Muiratnam Mudaliar

Modern Kannada poets, scholars and writers

Sahitya Academy Awardees
Kendra Sahitya Academy Awardees
Other eminent writers
  • Panje Mangesh Rao
  • De. Javare Gowda
  • Annadanayya Puranik – Vachanas, Law, Shiva Sharana literature
  • Siddayya Puranik – Vachanas, Shiva Sharana literature
  • Chandrika Puranik – Shiva Sharana literature
  • Udaya Shankar Puranik – science and technology, columnist
  • Haldoderi Sudhindra – columnist
  • Pandit Kallinath Shastri Puranik – 12 Puranas and Ayurveda
  • Basavaraj Puranik – Shiva Sharana literature
  • Samethanahalli Rama Rao
  • Anupama Niranjana
  • B. M. Srikanthaiah
  • Dr. A. N. Krishna Rao
  • G. P. Rajarathnam
  • G. B. Joshi
  • M Govinda Pai
  • M. V. Seetaramiah
  • Nisar Ahmed K. S.
  • P. Lankesh
  • Dr. Panchakshari Hiremath
  • SAADHANE-RajguruGuruswamiKalikeri
  • S. V. Parameshwara Bhatta
  • T. P. Kailasam – drama
  • Tha. Ra. Subbarao
  • Thee. Nam. Shree
  • R. K. Narayan, author
  • R. K. Laxman, cartoonist & humorist
  • Kamala Markhandaya
  • Triveni, novelist
  • G. P. Rajaratnam
  • Beechi – humorist
  • Dr M.Shivaram, Rashi – humorist
  • T. Sunandamma – humorist
  • H. L. Nage Gowda – folklorist
  • Go Ru Chennabsappa – Janapada Saahithya & Sharana Saahithya
  • Anakaru – novelist
  • M. Ramamurthy
  • K. V. Iyer
  • Devudu
  • Niranjana
  • Na. Kasturi
  • Navaratna Rama Rao
  • T. T. Sharma – journalism
  • VeeraKesari
  • Siddavanahalli Krishna Sharma
  • Hariharapriya
  • R. Kalyanamma
  • Tirumale Rajamma
  • Ambabai
  • H. V. Savitramma
  • H. S. Parvathi
  • Chi. Na. Mangala
  • H. R. Indira
  • M. K. Indira
  • P. V. Acharya Poet, Editor and writer
  • M. V. Kanakamma
  • Nirupama
  • N. Pankaja
  • Usha Navaratna Ram
  • Kakolu Saroja Rao
  • Anupama Niranjana
  • Vi. Seetharamiah, poet, critic
  • Basavaraja Kattimani
  • Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba
  • Sundar V. Nadkarni, fiction writer and poet
  • Ta. Raa.Subba Rao, novelist
  • Veenaa Shantheshvara, short story writer
  • Vaidehi, short story writer
  • Sumangala, short story writer
  • Dr K. R. Sandhya Reddy, poet, story writer, folk literature
  • T. K. Venkatesh Prabhu – novelist & poet
  • A. N. Prahlada Rao Kannada crossword writer
  • Pratibha Nandakumar, poet
  • D. R. Nagraj, critic
  • K. V. Narayana, literary critic and linguist
  • B. C. Ramachandra Sharma, poet and fictionist
  • D.V.Guruprasad, Former police officer, columnist and writer.
  • Shanhinatha Desai, novelist, story writer
  • Kum. Veerabhadrappa, novelist, story writer
  • Gowri Lankesh, columnist
  • Vishweswara Bhat, columnist
  • Abdul Raheem Teekay, Writer
  • Ravi Hanj, columnist
  • B. V. Veerabhadrappa, columnist
  • Dr. N. Someswara, health writer
  • N. Narasimhaiah – detective novelist
  • A. N. Murthy Rao
  • Dr. S. R. Ramaswamy, journalist
  • Ba. Na. Sundara Rao, author and journalist
  • Shivarudraprasad, poet and columnist
Literature originating from Christian missionaries