There are varying opinions about the early life and native language of Pampa. While it is commonly believed Pampa belonged to a Brahmin family that took to Jainism, their actual place of origin and native language (Kannada or Telugu) is debated. According to the trilingual inscription (in Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada) installed by Pampa's younger brother Jinavallabha at Bommalamma Gutta in Kurikiyala village, Gangadharam mandal (in modern Telangana), his father was Abhimanadevaraya (also known as Bhimappayya) and mother was Abbanabbe. It also indicated that his grandfather was Abhimanachandra who belonged to the Brahmin caste and hailed from Vangiparru in Kammanadu, Guntur district, Andra Pradesh. According to the modern Jain scholar Hampa Nagarajaiah ("Hampana"), Pampa was born in Annigeri, spent his early childhood on the banks of the nearby Varada river and his mother Abbanabbe was the grand daughter of Joyisa Singha of Annigeri in the modern Dharwad district of Karnataka state. Frequent descriptions of the beauty of the Banavasi region (in the modern Uttara Kannada district) and even the sprinkling ("abhishek") of water from the Varada river on Arjuna's head during his coronation in Pampa's epic "Vikramarjuna Vijaya" testifies to the poet's attachment to the Banavasi region. However, according to the Sheldon Pollock, Pampa is believed to have come from a Telugu-speaking family or region. Through the lines "aarankusamittodam nenevudenna manam banvaasi deshamam" and "puttidirdode maridumbiyaagi men kogileyaagi nandanavanadol banavaasideshadol" he has expressed his deep attachment towards Banavasi.