Satyashraya

Satyashraya (IAST: Satyāśraya; r. 997 – 1008 CE), also known as Sattiga or Irivabedanga, was a king of the Western Chalukya Empire. During a time of consolidation of the empire in the early 11th century, Satyashraya was involved in several battles with the Chola dynasty of Thanjavur, the Paramara dynasty and Chedi Kingdom of central India, and the Chaulukyas of Gujarat. The results of these wars were mixed, with victories and defeats. Even as a prince, during the rule of his father Tailapa II, Satyashraya had established himself as an ambitious warrior. Satyashraya patronised the great Kannada poet Ranna (one among the "three gems" or ratnatraya of classical Kannada literature) who compared his patron favourably to the Pandava prince Bhima (of the epic Mahabharatha) for his strength and valor in his epic poem Sahasabhimavijaya (lit, "Daring Bhima", the epic also known as Gadayuddha). Satyashraya held such titles as Akalavarsha, Akalankacharita and Sahasabhima.