Narahari Sarkar
{{use Indian English|date=February 2025}}
{{Short description|Indian poet, lyrist and Vaishnava Bhakti saint}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Narahari Sarkar
| language = Bengali, 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 Vaishnava Bhakti saint, and one of the associates and disciples of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.{{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}}{{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}} He is best known for his Sanskrit works, Bhakti-candrika-patala, Bhaktamrtastaka, Krsna Bhajanamrta, etc.{{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}}{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sukumar |title=A History Of Brajabuli Literature |publisher=University Of Calcutta |year=1935 |pages=33–35 |language=English}} He was the preacher of the doctrine of
Life and works
Narahari Sarkar was born into a Hindu Baidya family in Bengal.{{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}} He was born on Saka 1400 (=1478 / 1481 CE) at Srikhanda in the Bardhaman district of Bengal.{{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}} 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.{{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}}
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 Vaishnava faith, called as 'Gaurangarvad'.{{Cite book |last=Tapan Raychaudhuri |url= |title=Bengal Under Akber And Jahangir |pages=120, 149}}{{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.}}{{Efn|Narahari Chakravarti was a later 18th century Bhakti poet. He is different from Narahari Sarkar.}}{{Efn|In the doctrine of 'Gaurangarvada' Chaitanya is considered as the beloved or 'nagara' and his adorers as the women in love or 'nagaris'|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. He was a recognised 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.}} Bhaktamrtastaka, Saparsad-Gourangavandana, etc.{{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}} He wrote only stray lyrics, incorporating the thoughts of 'Nagarabhava' believes.{{Efn|Followers of 'Nagarabha' thought portrayed Caitanaya as the lover of Vrindaban.}}
Lochana Dasa, composer of Chaitanya Mangala, was a disciple of Narahari Sarkar.{{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}}{{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}}{{Efn|Lochan Dasa also propounded the doctrine of 'Gourangavada'}}{{Efn|According to Smith, though Narahari was a Baidya, he had many Brahmins among his disciples.}} He died in 1582 CE.{{Cite web |title=Eminent Personalities : Burdwan District |url=http://bardhaman.gov.in/personality/emiper.htm |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=bardhaman.gov.in}}
Notes
{{notelist}}