Ancient Tulu literature

Ancient Tulu Literature – Classical Tulu

Back in the history around 19th and 20th century there were a huge conception about Tulu as a non-literary, oral language. Though many historians and linguistic researchers had an opinion that Tulu is highly developed but there was a vacuum for non-availability of significant ancient literature in Tulu.

It was in 1969s when Shri.Venkataraja Puninchathaya accidentally discovered a bundle of palm leaves at the resident of Madhur Shivanarayana Saralaya, entire world has witnessed a history. Forgotten history, history that was buried in the game of transformations, history that was never heard off in the past. It unveiled a new set of researches and it has enlightened the new path to Tulu classics.

Shri Bhagavatho
With the great difficulty Venkataraja Puninchathaya decoded the Palm leaves written in Tulu script and Tulu language, and there!Tulu obtained it’s first classic Shri Bhagavatho.

Shri Bhagavatho was written by a poet named ‘Vishnu Thunga’. The language used in this epic is considered as an old classical Tulu which bears great difference with modern Tulu. Vishnu Thunga has given his almanac in the poem, that helped the researchers to decipher the exact date of the classic. According to the astrological experts date comes to be A.D 1636 ( 17th Century).

Discovery of Shri Bhagavatho has opened many dimensions of Tulu classic literature and there after series of Tulu classics came into limelight.

Kaveri
A new history was written when Mangalore University published Shri Bhagavatho in 1984. This led to the discovery of yet another Tulu classic named ‘Kaveri’

Most part of the Kaveri is lost and only few parts were available during the time of discovery. Hence we don’t have any information regarding the poet.According to the almanac given in the poem, it is being said that it was written by a Brahmin poet in ‘Prajothpatti Samvathsara’ . Considering the language of the classic, it showed great resemblance to that of Shri Bhagavatho. Hence the Kaveri is considered to be written in 17th Century.

Devi Mahathme
One of the oldest Tulu classic writing is Tulu Devi Mahathme. It was a first prose literature written in Tulu. Language of Devi Mahathme is quite different from that of Bhagavatho or Kaveri. The writer is identified to be belonging to the lineage of ‘Thenkkillaya’. According to the language used and the history of Thenkillaya family, it was noted that the Devi Mahathme is written in 14th century.

Mahabharatho:
Yet another Tulu classic revealed a great literary tradition of Tulu in ancient times. The epic Tulu Mahabharatho was written by a poet named ‘Arunabja’. Beauty of this epic is, it revealed traditional literary customs of Tulu language. In the epic Arunabja has mentioned the poets preceding him. He said that there were many poets preceding him had written ‘Tulu Ramayana’ .Also, he mentions a poet named ‘Guddetharaya’ and his works are being ‘Rukmini Swayamvara’, Banasura vadhe’, Keechaka vadhe’ ( These classics have not discovered yet) in Tulu. Arunabja also remembers an elderly poet who wrote ‘ekaadashupavasantha kavyo’.

The great reveal by the Arunabja has given a significant light on the ancient literary traditions of Tulu language and also uncovered many hidden classics.

Tulu Mahabharatho belongs to 14th Century ( Arunabja belongs to the same era of Shiva Nedumburar, an inscription dating A.D 1382 of Shiva Nedumburar is obtained in Udupi)

Generation of poets revealed by Arunabja has suggested that tradition of Tulu classical literature can be dated back to 12th Century or earlier.

Tulu Karnaparwo
One of the major finding of Tulu classical literature is Tulu karnaparwa. It is written by a poet named ‘Hariappa’, historians identified him to be the king of vijayanagara Empire Harihara-II. Arunabja mentions about Hariappa to be a King of his time, also he mentions that he has written the Mahabharato excluding the parts of Sambhava parva which was written by our King Hariappa. According to the Almanac written in poem the date is predicted as A.D 1380. Hariappa also mentions that many Tulu classics were written before him.
Major misconception of Tulu being a non-literary, non-classical language has wiped out by the discovery of these classics. Tulu was a literary language at-least from 12th Century. Current discoveries of inscriptions written in Tulu script and language belonging to 10th century has given one more insight on antiquity of Tulu. Tulu has a traditional writing custom from thousands of years.

Many classics of Tulu mentioned in Mahabharatho has not yet discovered. There might be a chance of them getting completely lost in the history. All available Tulu classics are transcribed into Kannada script from original Tulu script and got published by various publication houses.

Not enough research has been done towards Tulu classics, who knows there might be many classics hidden, undiscovered. Let us hope that we find many more ancient Tulu classics and the classical Tulu can be unfolded further.

Author – Mahi Mulki