Akha Bhagat (commonly known as Akho; ) or Akha Rahiyadas Soni was a mediaeval Gujarati poet who wrote in the tradition of the

Bhakti movement The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of Bhakti, devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6t ...

. He wrote his poems in a literary form called ''Chhappa'' (six stanza satirical poems).

Life

His exact dates are unknown, but according to scholars he lived from 1591 to 1656. A goldsmith by profession, he lived near

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

in Jetalpur, and later moved to Ahmedabad. His residence in

which is small room in Desaini Pol at Khadia is known as ''Akha no Ordo'' (literally "A room of Akha"). Akho was a goldsmith belonging to

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Soni caste and sub-caste Pasawala (Dhanpat). In Rajkot, Kothariya naka (one of the gate of fort) Chowk named after him Akha Bhagat Chowk. Soni Bazar Starts from here. He was a disciple of Saint Gokulnath, grandson of

Vallabha Vallabha, also known as Vallabhācārya or Vallabha Dīkṣita (May 7, 1478 – July 7, 1530 CE), was the founder of the Krishna, Kr̥ṣṇa-centered Pushtimarg, Puṣṭimārga sect of Vaishnavism, and propounded the philosophy of Shuddhadvait ...

charya, and got inspiration to go towards the way of Bhakti from him. He shared his experience and knowledge in chhappa. The poetry writing style he followed for lending his

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

in verse. He wrote 755 chappas.

Works

He is regarded as most important poet of mediaeval

Gujarati literature The history of Gujarat, Gujarati literature () may be traced to 1000 AD, and this literature has flourished since then to the present. It is unique in having almost no patronage from a ruling dynasty, other than its composers. Gujarat Vidhya S ...

. Three of his works are dated including ''Panchikarana'' (1645; Mixture of five elements), ''Gurushishyasamvada'' (1645; A Dialogue between Teacher and a Pupil) and ''Akhe-gita'', among which, ''Akhe-gita'' is considered as an important work. Divided in forty ''Kadavuns'' (sections), it deals with ''

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' (; Pali: ''bhatti'') is a term common in Indian religions which means attachment, fondness for, devotion to, trust, homage, worship, piety, faith, or love.See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. In Indian religions, it ...

'' (worship) and '' Jnana'' (knowledge). His other works includes ''Chittavichar Samvada'', ''Santona Lakshano'', ''Anubhav Bindu'' ("A Drop of Experience"), ''Avasthanirupan, ''Kaivalya Gita'', as well as various ''Pada'' (poems) and ''Chhappa''. His ''Chhappa'', a six stanza poems, are full of humorous and passes metaphorical comments on different aspects of spirituality and human life.

References

External links

* * Gujarati-language poets Indian male poets Bhakti movement Gujarati-language writers 17th-century Indian poets Writers from Ahmedabad Poets from Gujarat Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown 17th-century male writers Shudra Hindu saints {{India-poet-stub