Astadiggajas

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Astadiggajas (also transliterated as Ashtadiggajas, Ashta diggajas and in other ways) is the collective title given to the eight poets in the court of the king Sri Krishnadevaraya who ruled the Vijayanagara empire from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign, culture and literature florished. In his court, eight poets were regarded as the eight pillars of his literary assembly. These poets were: Allasani Peddana, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana, Dhurjati, Ayyalaraju Ramambhadrudu, Pingali Surana, Ramarajabhushanudu, and Tenali Ramakrishnudu.

The title Ashtadiggajas (Etymology: Ashta + dik + gaja = eight + direction + elephant) refers to the old belief that eight elephants hold the earth in eight directions. The court of poets was also called Bhuvana Vijayam (Conquest of the World).

The collective title given to the poets is akin to the Navaratnas label given to the court of Vikramaditya and at a later date, the court of Akbar. While there are some differences of opinion as to who exactly constituted the Astadiggajas and if the composition of this body changed over time, the above list of eight poets is widely regarded as the Astadiggajas. From the stone inscriptions of that time, it has been inferred that the village of Thippalur in the present-day Cuddapah district has been gifted to the Astadiggajas by the king.

Astadiggajas
Peddana • Thimmana • Madayyagari Mallana • Dhurjati • Ayyalaraju Ramambhadrudu • Pingali Surana • Ramarajabhushanudu • Tenali Ramakrishna