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 as
She who has no one
I'm not one to be afraid,
Whatever you do.
I exist chewing dry leaves.
My life resting on a knife edge
If you must torment me,
Chennamallikarjuna,
My life, my body
I'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;}}