page_title: Narasimha Saraswati
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Narasimha Saraswati / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: SriPada Sri Vallabha
context_page_description: Narasimha Saraswati was an Indian guru of Dattatreya tradition. According to the Shri GuruCharitra, he is the second avatar of Dattatreya in Kaliyuga after Sripada Sri Vallabha.
context_section_description: Shri Narasimha Saraswati lived from 1378 to 1459 (Shaka 1300 to Shaka 1380). Saraswati was born into a Deshastha Brahmin family in Karanjapur, which is modern-day Lad-Karanja (Karanja), in the Washim district Maharashtra Vidarbha region of India. His father (Madhav) and his mother (Amba-Bhavani) initially named him Narahari or Shaligramadeva, with the surname Kale.He was name Narahari by his parents. 
  Shri Narasimha Sarswati is considered to be the second incarnation of  Dattatreya, the first Incarnation was Sripada Srivallabha, as per his blessings to Amba Bhavani, in her previous birth, Sripada Srivallabh had blessed her & he advised her to perform shiva pooja. Later he also told that he would be born to her in her next life as Narasimha Saraswathi to uphold the Sanatha Dharma in Kali yuga. This instance has been well narrated  from chapter 5 to Chapter 12 in the holy book Guru Charithra 
  Narasimha Saraswati was a quiet child, who did not speak much during childhood. This led his parents to worry about his speech ability; however, Saraswati showed through hand gestures that after his upanayana (munji) (sacred thread ceremony), he would be able to speak. He started reciting the Vedas after his munja, which so impressed the Brahmins in the village that it was talked about, with senior learned Brahmins coming to him for learning.
  Narasimha Saraswati left home in 1386 at a tender age of 8 all alone and went on a pilgrimage to Kashi on foot. He took  Sanyasa at Kashi from Shri Krishna Saraswati. The second part of his name came from this guru, who eventually named him Shri Narasimha Saraswati. (This is a Sanskrit name.)
  After becoming a Sanyasi, Narasimha Saraswati visited several holy places before returning to Karanja at the age 30 to meet his parents. He visited various places before settling in Ganagapura (Ganagapur) (now in the state of Karnataka) for the last 20 years of his life.
  Towards the end of his life, Narasimha Saraswati met with the Muslim king (Sultan) of Bidar who was possibly Mahmood Shah Bahmani I of the Bahamani Sultanate, who was the area ruler at that time.
  Since his karma for that avatar had completed, thus he decided to take samadhi. He left for
  the jungle of Kadali (Kadali vanam near Srisailam). Saraswati took nijgamananand ((निजगमनानंद) type of samadhi) in 1459 for 300 years.
caption: First Incarnation - Sripada Srivallabha
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