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Allama Prabhu His Life

Prabhu is not a mere metaphysician but a real master of excellence and perfection. The peculiar excellence of man is
his power of thought by which he surpasses and rules all forms of life. As the growth of thought gives him his
supremacy, so its development gives him fulfilment and happiness. The chief condition of happiness is the life of
reason which represents the specific glory and power of man. Prabhu does not discard the life of reason, on the
contrary, it finds its full expression in his life and action. He does not spare chastising even Basava for his one sided
attachment to sham Jangamas. He upholds virtue which implies a masculine sort of excellence. For him virtue
depends upon self-control, symmetry of desire and artistry of means.

Prabhu, who is otherwise known as Allama, Allayya, Allama Prabhu or Prabhu-deveru, was probably born in the very
beginning of the 12th century. The exact date of his birth is neither known nor has it been ascertained by any of his
biographers. The biographers can be divided into two groups: one holding all too human and the other all too divine
view of him. Both views are wrong, for both lack the historical perspective and predominantly represent a
mythological view. Yet out of this legendary outlook we can glean a few historical facts. Prabhu was undoubtedly born
of the human parents at Ballegavi, a village near Banavasi. His fathers name was Nirahankara, and his mothers,
Sujnani. Karavura seems to be his family name. Ballegavi was set in the midst of palm trees, water-pools and rice
fields. The temple of Goggeleshwara or Guheshwara adorned this inspiring setting. His parents were a devout couple
and Goggeshwara was their family deity. Sujnani had often visitations from God, Goggeshwara in her dreams.
Nirahankara was the head of a dance school and was well versed in the three branches of music. But a secret
longing was gnawing at their hearts. It was the longing for a child. In her daily prayers, Sujnani appealed to God to
bless her with a child. One day she dreamt that she had been possessed by the God. In the temple opposite her
house the image of Shiva quickened to life under her own eyes. A ray of light penetrated to the depth of her being. In
course of time, she conceived and gave birth to a child. The child, whom the world was to know as the Vairagya
Chakravarti, (the supreme renunciate) was named Prabhu. He was a little boy full of fun and life. Nobody imagined
what giddy heights, what tremendous depths lay hidden in the little body of this charming child. His artistic
temperament and prowess were revealed when he was only six years old. He had inherited from his fathers artistic
temperament. A passionate instinct for the beautiful was the first channel which brought him in contact with God. But
there was a rich undercurrent of asceticism which occasionally peeped through his demeanour. The mutually
conflicting instincts for the artistic and the ascetic and for the beautiful and sublime struggled within him for
supremacy. In the end the ascetic instinct got the upper hand and turned him into a renowned Renunciate.

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