Naraharitirtha

Sri Naraharitirtha (?-1333) CE. was a disciple of 13th Century Indian saint Madhvacharya and is considered by some as the founder of the Haridasa (a Hindu Vaishnava) movement in India. He was not only a great saint but also a royal pontiff as evidenced by some inscriptions. The pre-sanyasa name of Sri Naraharitirtha was Shyama Saastry^[1].

Early years

No clear picture appears regarding his early years except that he was the minister of the King of Kalinga (modern Orissa, a state of Eastern India) described in a work called Narahariyatistotra which says he was a minister for twelve years. Hence its assumed that he was a native of either Andhra Pradesh or Orissa. Inscriptions from the Srikurmam and Simhacalam temples also attest to his ministry in Kalinga.

Literature

Though presumably not of Kannada origin, many of his works were in that language though only three compositions in Kannada have been recovered. They are

• yanthu marulade nanenthu ...
• hariye idu sariye..
• tiliko ninnologe neene...

Sri Naraharitirtha was responsible for the conversion of many princely and aristocratic families of Kalinga and Andhra regions to Madhva fold. The descedants of these families still flourish in the coastal Andhra and adjoining states. Though some allude to the belief that Naraharitirtha was indeed the founder of the Haridasa movement, others based on the strength internal evidence of songs confirm that it was Sripadaraya who pioneered the haridasa movement, almost a century later.

Sri Narahari tirtha is also attributed to be the founder of The Yakshagana and Bayalata dance and cultural art forms which is still flourishing in parts of Karnataka, Kasargod in Kerela and is gaining wide-spread attention around the world and in Bangalore as well.

He is also the founder of the Kuchipudi dance form when he was the "mathadhipathi"(high-priest) of his mutt in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.

References

1. ^ Sri Narahari Tirtha

• Sri Narahari Tirtha in haridasas of Karnataka