Ascribed to Allama are 1,321 extant poems, each of which end with the word "Guhesvara" ("lit", "Lord of the Cave", a form of the god Shiva), for it is said Allama found enlightenment in a cave. Allama's cryptic poems, though full of kindness, are known for their satire, mockery, invective and rejection of "siddhis" (occult powers). H.S. Shiva Prakash compares Allama's poems to the "Koans" in Japanese Zen poetry. According to D.R. Nagaraj, Allama's mystic poems are in a category all of their own and do not qualify as "bhakti" poems, which are typically characterised by transparent devotion.