Narahari Tirtha

2022-05-19T22:59:52Z

2607:FEA8:4A9A:D6F0:3A1B:36D9:ACCC:331B:

{{Short description|Dvaita philosopher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| birth_name = Śyama Śastri {{sfn| Sharma|2000|p=297}}
| birth_date = 1243
| birth_place = [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]], modern day [[Odisha]] or [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Bijapur district]], modern day [[Karnataka]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j-di9C6HtpAC|title=Karnataka Sate Gazetteer: Bijapur District (Bagalkot District Included)|publisher=Karnataka Gazetteer Department|year=2006|page=718|author=S. A. Jeelani|quote=It was Naraharitirtha who hailed from Bijapur district in the 12th century and Madhavatirtha who laid firm foundation for the Haridasa movement and literature.}}</ref> or [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| death_date = 1333
| death_place = [[Hampi]]
| honors =
| order = [[Vedanta]]
| guru = [[Madhvacharya]]
| philosophy = [[Dvaita]]
| disciples = [[Madhava Tirtha]]
| literary_works =
}}
{{DvaitaInfobox}}
'''Narahari Tirtha''' ({{circa}} 1243<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pn65KlYEJmsC|title=Journal of the Andhra Historical Society, Volume 11|publisher=Andhra Historical Research Society|year=1938|page=155|quote=Sri Narahari tirtha is known to have died in 1333 A.D, at the ripe old age of ninety. Obviously, he was born in 1243 A.D.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Archaeological Survey of Mysore, Annual Reports: 1906-1909|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IjVuAAAAMAAJ|author=S. Settar|publisher=Department of History and Archaeology, Karnatak University|year=1976|page=70|quote=He is said to have died at the ripe age of ninety.}}</ref> - {{circa}} 1333{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=227}}) was a [[Dvaita]] philosopher, scholar, statesman and one of the disciples of [[Madhvacharya]]. He is considered to be the progenitor of the [[Haridasa]] movement along with [[Sripadaraja]].{{sfn|Rice|1982|p=77}} Though only two of his scholarly works are extant, they are characterised by their verbosity and lack of digressions.{{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=299}} A few songs of his survive under the [[nom de plume]] ''Raghukulatilaka''. As a minister of considerable influence to the [[Eastern Ganga Dynasty|Eastern Ganga rulers]] and later as the pontiff of Madhvacharya mutt, Narahari converted the [[Simhachalam]] temple into an educational establishment of renown and a religious centre for [[Vaishnavism]].{{sfn|Sundaram|1969|p=77}}

==Life==
Nothing is known about his early life except that he served as a minister in the [[Eastern Ganga Dynasty|Eastern Ganga Kingdom]] in Kalinga (modern day [[Odisha]]) and later as a regent in the stead of Narasimha Deva II before his ordination as a monk. Information about his life is derived from a [[hagiography]] called ''Narahariyatistotra'', Narayana Pandita's ''[[Sri MadhwaVijaya|Madhva Vijaya]]'' and inscriptions from the [[Kurmanathaswamy temple, Srikurmam|Srikurmam]] and [[Simhachalam]] temples, all of which attest to his regency. The inscriptions also allude to his expertise in scriptures and swordsmanship.{{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=296}} Sharma conjectures from the presence and contents of the inscriptions that post 1281 C.E., he was "the virtual overlord of the country".{{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=298}} At the height of his power, he built the Yogananda Narasimha Temple in [[Srikurmam]] and defended the city from attacks of vandals.{{sfn|Banerji|1930|p=271}} There is also evidence that he was patronised by Bhanudeva I and his ward Narasimha Deva II and also that he disseminated the philosophy of [[Madhva]] throughout Kalinga.{{sfn|Rao|1901|p=44}} His mortal remains rest at Charkratirtha near [[Hampi]].

==Works and Legacy==
Narahari's treatise on the ''Gita Bhashya'' of [[Madhva]] called ''Bhavaprakashika'' is considered to be an important work in the [[Dvaita Literature|Dvaita canon]], being referenced by [[Jayatirtha]] and [[Raghavendra Tirtha]]. Sharma notes that Narahari expands upon the obscure passages in the source text and directs polemical barbs against the commentaries by [[Adi Shankara|Sankara]] and [[Ramanuja]].{{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=299}} Though presumably not of Kannada origin, many of his works were in that language although only three of his compositions in [[Kannada]] survive.{{ref|a}} Narahari and [[Sripadaraja]] are considered to be the forerunners of the [[Haridasa]] movement by penning songs and hymns, mostly containing the teachings of Madhva in simplified terms and set to music in the vernacular [[Kannada]] language. Traditionally, Narahari is also considered to be the founder of [[Yakshagana]] and [[Bayalaata]], a dance form which still flourishes in parts of Karnataka and [[Kasargod]] in present-day [[Kerala]].

== Notes ==
:1.{{note|a}} The songs are ''yanthu marulade nanenthu'' and ''hariye idu sariye.''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|title = A History of the Dvaita School of Vedānta and Its Literature, Vol 1. 3rd Edition|first = B. N. Krishnamurti| last = Sharma| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass (2008 Reprint) |isbn = 978-8120815759| year= 2000 }}
* {{cite book|title = A History of Kannada Literature|first =E.P| last = Rice| publisher= Asian Educational Services,India |isbn = 978-8120600638| year=1982 }}
* {{cite book|title = The Simhachalam Temple|first = K| last = Sundaram| publisher= Simhachalam Devasthanam | year=1969 }}
* {{cite book|title = Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society|first = R. Subba| last = Rao| publisher= Andhra Historical Research Society | year=1901 }}
* {{cite book|title = History of Orissa: From Earliest Times to the British Period|url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.281018|first = R. D| last = Banerji| publisher= Chatterjee | year=1930 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/yathi/narahari.html Biography of Narahari Tirtha]

{{Madhva Religious Figures}}
{{Caitanya sampradaya}}

[[Category:History of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Kannada literature]]
[[Category:Dvaitin philosophers]]
[[Category:Dvaita Vedanta]]
[[Category:Uttaradi Math]]
[[Category:13th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Madhva religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Odisha]]

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Narahari Tirtha