imported>Tiven2240: Adding short description: "Writer of the first biography in Marathi Language" (Shortdesc helper)

2020-06-21T11:21:22Z

Adding short description: "Writer of the first biography in Marathi Language" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{short description|Writer of the first biography in Marathi Language}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Mhaimbhat
| image =
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name = म्हाइंभट
| native_name_lang = mr
| birth_date = 
| birth_place =
| death_date = c. 1300
| death_place = [[Riddhapur]]
| occupation =
| language = Marathi
| residence =
| genre = Biography, memoir
| notableworks = ''[[Leela Charitra]]''
}}

'''Mhaimbhat''' (c. 13th century) was one of the earliest followers of [[Chakradhar Swami]] and the [[Mahanubhava]] sect, and author of ''[[Leela Charitra]]'', the first biography written in the [[Marathi language]].<ref name=dictionary>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings–1850 |last=Mukherjee |first=Sujit |year=1988 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=9788125014539 |page=233}}</ref>

==Life==
Mhaimbhat belonged to the Sarala village of the [[Ahmadnagar district]] of Maharashtra. He was born in a [[Brahman]] family and studied [[Sanskrit]] from his maternal uncle Ganapati Aapayo. Later, he went to [[Telangana]] for further studies. After returning to Maharashtra, he won debates against many scholars of Indian philosophy. He first met [[Chakradhar Swami]] on the insistence of his uncle, when he debated him at [[Domegram]], and returned home influenced by him. Arriving at a decision to follow Chakradhar Swami, he went to Riddhapur where [[Govind Prabhu]], ''guru'' of Chakradhar Swami, resided.<ref>{{cite book |title=Shri Chakradhar |last=Sankpal |first=Bapuji |year=1991 |language=Marathi |publisher=National Book Trust |isbn=9788123725901 |pages=42-43}}</ref><ref name='vishwakosh'/>

Mhaimbhat was married to Deaamba, daughter of his uncle Ganapati Aapayo.<ref name=vishwakosh>{{cite encyclopedia |title=म्हाइंभट |encyclopedia=Marathi Vishwakosh |last=Tulpule |first=S.G. |date= |year= |publisher=Maharashtra Rajya Vishwakosh Nirmiti Mandal |volume=13 |url=https://marathivishwakosh.maharashtra.gov.in/khandas/khand13/index.php/23-2015-01-14-06-40-32/10903-2012-08-22-09-19-42 |accessdate=2017-12-23 |language=mr}}</ref>

==Literary works==
Mhaimbhat took upon himself the task of writing a memoir of Chakradhar Swami soon after the latter died. He traveled all over Maharashtra and collected anecdotes and life events related to Chakradhar Swami. With the help of [[Bhatobas]], another disciple of the sect, he met a large number of people connected to Chakradhar Swami and collected material from various sources – often cross-checking the same story from more than one source to evaluate trustworthiness. This approach by Mhaimbhat is considered rather scientific, considering he was writing in 13th-century India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hardy |first=friedhelm |title=The Religious Culture of India: Power, Love and Wisdom |year=2005 |page=340 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780521023443}}</ref>

Later in his life, Mhaimbhat also wrote ''Riddhapur Charitra'', a biography of [[Govind Prabhu]], another figurehead of the Mahanubhava sect.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Paniker |editor-first=K. Ayyappa |last=Pawar |first=G.M. |chapter=Medieval Marathi Literature |title=Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections |year=1997 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |page=347 |isbn=9788126007882}}</ref> Along with these two biographies, he wrote ten ''[[aarti]]s'' lyrical hyms in praise of God – which form a part of Mahanubhava rituals.<ref name='vishwakosh'/>

==Legacy==
As an author of ''Leela Charitra'', Mhaimbhat is considered to be the first known prose writer in the Marathi language.<ref name='dictionary'/> The language of ''Leela Charitra'' invokes some academic interest as it documents the language spoken by common Marathi people of the 13th century.<ref name='vishwakosh'/>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]
[[Category:13th-century Indian writers]]
[[Category:Mahanubhava sect]]

Mhaimbhat - Revision history

imported>Tiven2240: Adding short description: "Writer of the first biography in Marathi Language" (Shortdesc helper)