Magnum opus Harihara, although one of the earliest Aradhya Brahmana writers, was not part of the famous
Vachana literary tradition. He wrote under the patronage of King
Narasimha I. He wrote his
magnum opus, the
Girijakalyana ("Marriage of the mountain born Goddess"), though employing the old
Jain champu style, with the story leading to the marriage of
Shiva and his consort
Parvati in ten sections. Harihara brings out his ability for narration while describing the lamentation of
Rati for
Kama, and the intense love and devotion of Parvati for Shiva. Though known for his
magnum opus, his poetic talent found complete expression in his lyrical and narrative
ragale poems. It was Harihara who popularised the
ragale (couplets in blank verse), a metre native to Kannada language. In a deviation from the norm of the day, Harihara avoided glorifying famous mortals and continued the Jain tradition of "glorifying the spirit" and the "conquest of evil within oneself".
Other poetic works Shivaganada ragale Harihara is credited with a collection of more than one hundred poems in the
ragale metre called the
Nambiyanana ragale (also called
Shivaganada ragale or
Saranacharitamanasa–"The
holy lake of the lives of the devotees", c. 1160) after the saint Nambiyana. In this writing is a eulogy of the 63 saints of early
Shaivism (devotion to Shiva), of the later social reformers such as
Basavanna,
Allama Prabhu and
Akka Mahadevi, and of
Virupaksha (a form of Shiva)
Basavarajadevara ragale Another important writing (though partially available), in the
ragale metre is the
Basavarajadevara ragale. It is on the life of
Basavanna emphasizing the protagonist's compassion for devotees of Shiva. This work is the earliest biography of
Basavanna from which 13 out of 25 sections are available and are considered important because the author was a near contemporary of his protagonist and set the trend for future biographers. Harihara thus became the earliest poetic biographer in the Kannada language. Interesting details of Basavanna's life are narrated by Harihara, some of which contradict commonly held beliefs. The author, who does not appear to be personally acquainted with his protagonist, mixed facts with some mythological details. While popular theory holds that Basavanna left his native place over a difference of opinion with his father regarding the Brahminical initiation ritual (the "sacred thread ceremony"), Harihara's account states Basavanna lost his parents early in life and was cared for by his grandmother. Later he discarded his thread and left for Sangama, indicating he was already initiated. Regarding Basavanna's employment under King
Bijjala II, while popular theory holds that Basavanna succeeded his deceased maternal uncle (whose daughter he was married to) as the treasurer of the king, according to Harihara, Basavanna's introduction to the king was made by the incumbent treasurer Sidhdandadhisa, whom he later succeeded to the post.
Other writings Harihara's other works include
Pushpa ragale,
Marichanana ragale and
Pampa sataka (written in the
shataka metre comprising a string of 100 verses), in praise of Virupaksha of
Hampi. For his poetic talent, he has earned the honorific "poet of exuberance" (
utsava kavi). ==Notes==