Adikavi Pampa

Adikavi Pampa
The renowned Kannada Poet, Adikavi Pampa
Born	902 CE Annigeri, Rashtrakuta Empire (present-day Annigeri, Karnataka, India)
Died	955 CE Bodhan, Rashtrakuta Empire (present-day Bodhan, Telangana, India)
Occupation	Jain Poet
Works	Ādipurāṇa Vikramārjuna Vijaya also known as Pampa Bhārata

Pampa (c. 10th century), called by the honorific Ādikavi ("First Poet") was a Kannada-language Jain poet whose works reflected his philosophical beliefs.^[1] He was a court poet of Vemulavada Chalukya king Arikesari II, who was a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta Emperor Krishna III. Pampa is best known for his epics Vikramārjuna Vijaya or Pampa Bharata, and the Ādi purāṇa, both written in the champu style around c. 939. These works served as the model for all future champu works in Kannada.

The works of Jain writers Pampa, Sri Ponna and Ranna, collectively called the "Three gems of Kannada literature", heralded the 10th century era of medieval Kannada literature.^[2]