Prabhu, Allama (12th c. C. E.) was a poet-saint and religious leader of the Lingayat group, a bhakti (devotional) sect that worships Shiva as the ultimate deity and opposes all caste rules.
- The Lingayats originated in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, where they still have a significant presence, and their most important religious scriptures are collections of poetry written in Kannada.
- According to mythology, Allama was Shiva himself on Earth, and the honorific title "Master" (Prabhu) reflects his Lingayat contemporaries' reverence for him.
- Allama wrote poetry from the viewpoint of someone who had attained full freedom and had transcended all ceremonial and earthly connections.
Speaking of Siva, translated by A. K. Ramanujan, was published in 1973.
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