शिवतत्त्वरत्नाकरः- Sivatattva Ratnakara of basavaraja of Keladi-An Old and Rare Book

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THE sivatattvaratnakara is an encyclopedia in sanskrit verse, consisting of 108 'Tarangas or sub-sections distributed under 9 Kallolas or main sections. Almost all branches of our ancient lore have been dealt with in this great work. The author mentions that the work was written in answer to his son's request to learn all knowledge (Sarvavidya). While this claim is partly true, it must be said that the author's desire was to make known the achievements of his ancestors. The author of the work, Basava Raja was a distinguished scholar and therefore has been successful in care- fully fusing into the texture of the work, the chronicle of his glorious ancestry. In the work, the History of the Kings of Keladi is presented up to Somasekhara and Channamba, the parents of Basava Raja, the author of the present work, going back to the time of Chaudappa the founder of the Kingdom.

Basava Bhopala (1684 A.C. to 1710 A.C.) was the ruler of the Keladi Kingdom which flourished from about 1500 A.C. to 1763 A.C. in the area corresponding to the whole coast of Kanara from Goa in the North to Cannanore in the South as also parts of the Shimoga district of Mysore. Keladi was known as Ikkeri and also as Bednur and its rulers were great patrons of art, literature and architecture. The temples of Rameswara and Virabhadra in Keladi, the Aghoresvara temple at Ikkeri, the Devaganga ponds at Nagar, the Campa- kesaras at Anandapura bear ample testimony to their love of Art, These rulers, apart from being great patrons of learning have produced several notable works both in Kannada and Sanskrit. Basava Bhupala who has also written Subhasita Suradruma in Sanskrit and Suktisudhakara in Kannada was the most outstanding author among them.

This remarkable work is an encyclopaedia which gives information on all the leading topics of learning such as History, Religion, Philosophy, Science and Literature. Some of the rare works mentioned and authorities cited on varied branches of knowledge in this work still remain to be traced.