▁K arn ata ka ▁and ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Mah ar as ht ra . ▁This ▁last ▁theory ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁V ith oba ▁as ▁" K ann ada " ▁( bel ong ing ▁to ▁K arn ata ka ) ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁poet - s ain ts , ▁D ny an esh war . Res earch ers ▁debate ▁whether ▁Vit th ala ▁is ▁a ▁K arn ata ki ▁or ▁K ann ada ▁de ity ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁Mar ath i ▁de ity . ▁J nan esh war ▁says : ▁‘ kan ada ▁ho ▁vit th alu ▁k arn ata ku , ▁y ene ▁maja ▁lav ile ▁ved hi ; ▁this ▁Vit th ala ▁who ▁is ▁kan ada ▁( diff icult ▁to ▁understand ) ▁and ▁k arn ata ku ▁( from ▁K arn ata ka , ▁or ▁k ara ▁n ata ku , ▁play ful ) ▁has ▁put ▁me ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁constant ▁rem emb rance .’ ▁Sain ts ▁like ▁E kn ath ▁and ▁Nam dev ▁have ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁kan ada ▁vit th ala . ▁However , ▁this ▁word ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁interpreted ▁as ▁" diff icult ▁to ▁understand ". ▁V ark aris ▁and ▁sch ol ars ▁who ▁believe ▁P und al ik ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁historical ▁figure ▁also ▁consider ▁him ▁to ▁be ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁cult ▁of ▁V ith oba . ▁This ▁is ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁the ▁lit urg ical ▁call — P und al ik av ar ada