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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{use Indian English|date=February 2025}}
{{Short description|Indian poet, lyrist and Vaishnava Bhakti saint}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Narahari Sarkar
| language = [[Bengali Language|Bengali]], [[Sanskrit Language|Sanskrit]]
| notableworks = ''Bhakti-candrika-patala'', ''Bhaktamrtastaka'', ''Krsna Bhajanamrta'', etc.
| birth_name =
| birth_date = later phase of 15th century
| birth_place = [[Srikhanda]], [[Bardhaman]]
| nationality =
| occupation = Poet, Saint
| genre = Gaudiya Vaisnava Philosophy
| death_date = later phase of 16th century
| native_name = নরহরি সরকার
| native_name_lang = bn
}}
'''Narahari Sarkar''' was a 16th-century Bengali poet, lyrist, a [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava Bhakti]] saint, and one of the associates and disciples of [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Bhatia |first=Varuni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=824sDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 |title=Unforgetting Chaitanya: Vaishnavism and Cultures of Devotion in Colonial Bengal |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-068624-6 |pages=25 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Sujit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCJrUfVtZxoC&pg=PA254 |title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850 |date=1998 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-1453-9 |pages=256 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> He is best known for his Sanskrit works, ''Bhakti-candrika-patala'', ''Bhaktamrtastaka'', ''Krsna Bhajanamrta'', etc.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last1=Dwyer |first1=Graham |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P7e8ORp2QrEC&pg=PA103 |title=Hare Krishna in the Modern World |last2=Cole |first2=Richard J. |publisher=Arktos |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-907166-47-1 |pages=103 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sukumar |title=A History Of Brajabuli Literature |publisher=University Of Calcutta |year=1935 |pages=33–35 |language=English}}</ref> He was the preacher of the doctrine of "Gaurangarvada".<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Aquil |first1=Raziuddin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l6PSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT351 |title=An Earthly Paradise: Trade, Politics and Culture in Early Modern Bengal |last2=Mukherjee |first2=Tilottama |date=2020-02-25 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-00-007180-1 |pages=351 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" />{{Efn|name=Gaurangavada}}

== Life and works ==
Narahari Sarkar was born into a Hindu [[Baidya]] family in [[Bengal]].<ref name=":smith">{{Cite book |last=Smith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bt-mDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA50 |title=Hinduism: New Essays in the History of Religions |date=2018-11-13 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-37851-3 |pages=50 |language=en}}</ref> He was born on Saka 1400 (=1478 / 1481 CE) at [[Srikhanda]] in the [[Bardhaman district]] of Bengal.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Bengal (India) |first=West |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hJm3AAAAIAAJ |title=West Bengal District Gazetteers: Barddhamān |date=1965 |publisher=State editor, West Bengal District Gazetteers |pages=130 |language=en}}</ref> His father was Narayanadeva Sarkar, and his elder brother Mukunda was a physician to the Pathan King at Gour. Narahari also served as court physician of the Sultan of Gour for some time. Narahari, Mukunda and his nephew Raghunanda (son of Mukunda), were associates of [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2010 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-341421-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6" />

Narahari initially wrote pada (verses) on [[Krishna]] but, after the influence of Chaitanya, he started composing verses dedicated to the latter. He propounded a Chaitanya–centric [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava faith]], called as 'Gaurangarvad'.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Tapan Raychaudhuri |url= |title=Bengal Under Akber And Jahangir |pages=120, 149}}</ref>{{Efn|In the post-Chaitanya movement of Bengal, two distinct trends were developed simultaneously at Navadvipa and Vrindabana. The Navadvipa followers were reflected in the lyrical writings of Narahari Sarkar.<ref name=":3" />}}{{Efn|Narahari Chakravarti was a later 18th century Bhakti poet. He is different from Narahari Sarkar.<ref name=":2" />}}{{Efn|In the doctrine of 'Gaurangarvada' Chaitanya is considered as the beloved or 'nagara' and his adorers as the women in love or 'nagaris'<ref name=":3" />|name=Gaurangavada}} According to Sen, Narahari was perhaps the first poet to compose verses about the life of Chaitanya. He used simple and direct language in composing verses.<ref name=":0" /> He was a recognised [[Sanskrit literature|Sanskrit scholar]]. He wrote several books, including ''Bhakti-chandrika-patala'', ''Krishna-bhajanamrita'',{{Efn|Krishnabhajanamrita is a collection of devotional verses that are dedicated to Krishna.<ref name=":krishna" />}} ''Bhaktamrtastaka'', ''Saparsad-Gourangavandana'', etc.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Brzezinski |first=J. K. |title=Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī: from Benares to Braj |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/abs/prabodhananda-sarasvati-from-benares-to-braj/9B794AFEBBF8B51820A0A4B406408EC0 |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies |year=1992 |language=en |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=52–75 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00002640 |s2cid=154350212 |issn=1474-0699|url-access=subscription }}</ref> He wrote only stray lyrics, incorporating the thoughts of 'Nagarabhava' believes.{{Efn|Followers of 'Nagarabha' thought portrayed Caitanaya as the lover of Vrindaban.<ref name=":3" />}}

[[Lochana Dasa]], composer of ''[[Chaitanya Mangala]]'', was a disciple of Narahari Sarkar.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Majumdar |first=Bimanbehari |date=1969 |title=THE DATE OF GAJAPATI PRATĀPRUDRA'S CONVERSION TO CAITANYAISM |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44138385 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=31 |pages=298–305 |jstor=44138385 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":krishna">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Amiya P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lc-aDwAAQBAJ |title=Chaitanya: A Life and Legacy |date=2019-04-08 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-909777-7 |language=en}}</ref>{{Efn|Lochan Dasa also propounded the doctrine of 'Gourangavada'<ref name=":2" />}}{{Efn|According to Smith, though Narahari was a Baidya, he had many Brahmins among his disciples.<ref name=":smith" />}} He died in 1582 CE.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Eminent Personalities : Burdwan District |url=http://bardhaman.gov.in/personality/emiper.htm |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=bardhaman.gov.in}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== Sources ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarkar, Narahari}}
[[Category:16th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:16th-century Bengali poets]]
[[Category:Bhakti movement]]
[[Category:Devotees of Krishna]]
[[Category:Gaudiya religious leaders]]
[[Category:16th-century Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:Hindu ascetics]]
[[Category:Hindu mystics]]
[[Category:Hindu revivalists]]
[[Category:Indian Hindu monks]]
[[Category:Indian Vaishnavites]]
[[Category:Vaishnava saints]]
[[Category:Scholars from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindu saints]]
[[Category:15th-century births]]
[[Category:1582 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]

Narahari Sarkar - Revision history

Kuldeep Singh Deep: New The Info W/ Infobox