Don’t Despise Me by Akka Mahadevi

Mahadevi was a saint of the Bhakti movement and is a famous Kannada poet. Her many devotional poems showcase her powerful faith and adherence to her faith, even throughout a life that made such devotions truly difficult for her. Don’t Despise Me is one such poem that has made her the well-known and respected figure she is today.

Don't Despise Me
Akka Mahadevi

Don't despise me asShe who has no oneI'm not one to be afraid,Whatever you do.I exist chewing dry leaves.My life resting on a knife edgeIf you must torment me,Chennamallikarjuna,My life, my bodyI'll offer you and be cleansed.

, .cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field input[type='checkbox'] {color:#ffffff;background-color:rgba(239,239,239,0.01);}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field:focus {border-color: #ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field::-webkit-input-placeholder {color:#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field::-moz-placeholder {color:#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .pika-lendar table tbody button:hover { background :#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .pika-lendar table tbody .is-selected .pika-button { background :#ffffff;box-shadow : inset 0 1px 3px #ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 #form_field-2553982 { }@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field{ font-family:inherit;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:13px;letter-spacing:0px;text-align:center;color:#ffffff;background-color:rgba(239,239,239,0.01);border-style:solid;border-width:1px 1px 1px 1px;border-radius:5px 5px 5px 5px;border-color:#ffffff;active-border-color:#ffffff;padding:4px 4px 4px 4px;}.cp_style_2553982 #form_field-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #form_field-2553982 placeholder { color:#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field input[type='radio'], .cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field input[type='checkbox'] {color:#ffffff;background-color:rgba(239,239,239,0.01);}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field:focus {border-color: #ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field::-webkit-input-placeholder {color:#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .cp-form-input-field::-moz-placeholder {color:#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .pika-lendar table tbody button:hover { background :#ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 .cp-popup .cpro-form .pika-lendar table tbody .is-selected .pika-button { background :#ffffff;box-shadow : inset 0 1px 3px #ffffff;}.cp_style_2553982 #form_field-2553982 { }}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:inherit;font-style:Normal;font-weight:Normal;font-size:42px;line-height:1.15;letter-spacing:0;text-align:center;color:#ffffff;width:656px;height:105px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 { left: 39px;top: 17px;z-index:2;}@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:inherit;font-style:Normal;font-weight:Normal;font-size:27px;line-height:1.54;letter-spacing:0;text-align:center;color:#ffffff;width:374px;height:89px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-1-2553982 { left: 13px;top: 19px;z-index:2;}}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:Open Sans;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:19px;line-height:1.31;letter-spacing:0;text-align:left;color:#ffffff;width:384px;height:147px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 { left: 43.5px;top: 110.00001525879px;z-index:6;}@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:Open Sans;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:14px;line-height:1.31;letter-spacing:0;text-align:center;color:#ffffff;width:262px;height:28px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_heading-3-2553982 { left: 17.5px;top: 102px;z-index:6;}}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_email-1-2553982 .cp-target { width:430px;height:44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_email-1-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_email-1-2553982 { left: 160px;top: 213.00001525879px;z-index:8;}@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 #cp_email-1-2553982 .cp-target { width:245px;height:30px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_email-1-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_email-1-2553982 { left: 77.5px;top: 124.5px;z-index:8;}}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:inherit;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:22px;letter-spacing:0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:#7cb342;width:324px;height:47px;padding:0px 15px 0px 15px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover { color:#fff;background:#5cb200;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-style:none;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-style:none;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-color:#757575;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-color:#757575;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-width:1px 1px 1px 1px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-width:1px 1px 1px 1px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target > .cp-close-link { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target > .cp-close-image { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover ~ .cp-field-shadow { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 { left: 213px;top: 278.00001525879px;z-index:11;}@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:inherit;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:17px;letter-spacing:0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:#7cb342;width:221px;height:38px;padding:0px 15px 0px 15px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover { color:#fff;background:#5cb200;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-style:none;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-style:none;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-color:#757575;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-color:#757575;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-width:1px 1px 1px 1px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-width:1px 1px 1px 1px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target > .cp-close-link { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target > .cp-close-image { border-radius:44px 44px 44px 44px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target ~ .cp-field-shadow { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover ~ .cp-field-shadow { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_button-2-2553982 { left: 89.5px;top: 182px;z-index:11;}}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:inherit;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:21px;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0px;text-align:center;color:#ffffff;width:575px;height:71px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 { left: 79.5px;top: 129.00001525879px;z-index:12;}@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 .cp-target { font-family:inherit;font-style:Inherit;font-weight:Inherit;font-size:8px;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0px;text-align:left;color:#ffffff;width:215px;height:21px;}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 .cp-target:hover { }.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 .cp-rotate-wrap{ transform:rotate( 0deg);}.cp_style_2553982 #cp_paragraph-2-2553982 { left: 49.5px;top: 249px;z-index:12;}}@media ( max-width: 767px ) {.cp_style_2553982 .cp-invisible-on-mobile {display: none !important;}}