Bhanita

In poetry, particularly the vernacular
form of the bhakti poets, a signature
line in which the author is identified by
name. This line has two major functions:
to identify the poet and to provide a
summation of the poem’s message. The
word bhanita comes from a verb meaning “to speak,” and by adding a signature
line the poet is stamping his or her
authorship on the poem. Of course,
there is nothing to prevent others from
doing this as well. In a performance context, the poet’s name comes at the
beginning of the final line and alerts the
audience to pay special attention to that
line, which often sums up the entire
poem’s message.