Basava or Basavaṇṇa (c. 1105-68) is the most revered poet-saint of the Liṅgāyats, the largest single religious community in the state of Karnataka in South India. Writers in the Kannada language have long used Basava's life as a focus for their work. This paper considers one such work-Taledaṇḍa, a recent play by Girish Karnad-within the context of the available historical and hagiographical material on the period and with reference to the religious and socio-political tensions of contemporary India.
目次
Part 1: The Basava of history and tradition 1. Introduction to Virashaivism 229 2. The twelfth-century religious context 232 3. The debate about origins 235 4. The Ablur inscription 237 5. Basava's life according to tradition 239 Part 2: Girish Karnad's Basava 1. The Plot 244 2. Recreating Basava's world 245 3. Using the twelfth century to reflect the twentieth 252 4. The economic implications of the work ethic 256 5. The fabled tolerance of the Hindus 257 6. Conclusions 258
