Before establishing Veerashaiva faiths and their literature in Kannada from the mystic period, it is necessary to first comprehend the emergence of these Veerashaivas in the then Hindu society. During the late 12th century, the Kalachuris had triumphantly and boastfully renegaded against their overlords, the Western Chalukyas and annexed their capital Kalyani. In such a tumultuous and chaotic period, a new and latest religious faith called Veerashaivism (or Lingayatism) germinated up as a revolt against the subsisting social order of Hindu society. A bunch of the followers from this faith began to pen their literature, referred to as Vachana Sahitya ("Vachana literature") or Sharana Sahitya ("literature of the devotees"), consisting of an exceptional and native form of poetry in free verse named Vachana. Basavanna (or Basava, 1160), the prime minister of southern Kalachuri King Bijjala II, is largely looked upon as the inspiration behind such a movement. A general and all-encompassing habit could be noticed, that devotees would gather together to talk about their mystic experiences at a centre for religious discussion, referred to as Anubhava Mantapa ("hall of experience") in Kalyani. While into the discussion already, the Veerashaivas had enunciated their devotion towards Lord Shiva in easy and effortless vachana poems. These poems largely were spontaneous outbursts of rhythmic, epigrammatical, sardonic prose, accentuating upon the insignificance and triviality of riches, rituals and book learning, strangely portraying a spectacular and impressive quality, reminiscent of the talkses of Plato.
Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Devara Dasimayya, Channabasava, Siddharama (1150), and Kondaguli Kesiraja are regarded as the most acknowledged and respected amongst the umpteen poets (called Vachanakaras) who penned in the genre of Veerashaivas, under Kannada literature from the mystic period. Akka Mahadevi was considered most high-flying amongst the various women poets; other than her poetry, Akka Mahadevi is also ascribed with two short authorships, Mantrogopya and Yogangatrividhi. Siddharama is qualified with writings in tripadi metre (three-line verse, operational from 7th century) and 1379 still surviving poems (though he has claimed authorship of 68,000 poems).
The Veerashaiva Movement, together with its bunch of spiritual literary compositions in Kannada literature from the mystic period, had encountered a major stumbling block with the assassination of King Bijjala and deportation of the sharanas (devotees) from Kalyani. More advancement and growth of Vachana poetry was cut short mercilessly, until the 15th century, when another wave of writings began to germinate under the patronage of the rulers of Vijayanagara. The chieftain Nijaguna Shivayogi had given rise to an innovative form of philosophy named Kaivalya, launched on the advaitha (monistic) philosophy of Adi Shankara and blended and amalgamated with a branch of the Veerashaiva faith. An inexhaustible and productive writer, Shivayogi had composed devotional songs, together acknowledged as the Kaivalya sahitya (or Tattva Padagalu, literally "songs of the pathway to emancipation"). His songs bore a sense of reflection, philosophy and was wholly occupied with Yoga and yogic practice. Shivayogi also had penned an exceedingly treasured scientific encyclopaedia, named the Vivekachintamani; it was interpreted later into Marathi language during 1604 and Sanskrit language in 1652 and again in the 18th century. The encyclopaedia comprehends entries on 1500 topics and deals with an extensive range of subjects encompassing poetics, dance and drama, musicology and erotics.
Other familiar and distinguished poet saints of the Veerashaiva tradition in Kannada literature from the mystic period, include Muppina Sadakshari, a contemporary of Shivayogi, whose compilation of songs are called the Subodhasara, Chidananda Avadhuta of the 17th century and Sarpabhushana Shivayogi of the 18th century. Indeed so gigantic and immeasurable is this body of literature that much of it still calls for detailed studying.
