Naraharitirtha

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Sri Naraharitirtha (?-1333) CE. a disciple of Madhvacharya is considered by some as the founder of the Haridasa dasa kuta. He was not only a great saint but also a royal pontiff as evidenced by some inscriptions.

[edit] Early Years

No clear picture appears regarding his early years except that he was the minister of the King of Kalinga as described in a work 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.

[edit] 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 descedents 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 pioneerd the haridasa movement, almost a century later.

[edit] Reference

• Sri Narahari Tirtha in haridasas of Karnataka

Madhva Religious Figures
Madhvacharya • Vadirajatirtha • Vyasatirtha • Raghavendra Swami • Naraharitirtha • Jayatirtha • Sripadaraya • Purandara Dasa • Kanaka Dasa •