Sant Narsinh Mehta
Anbu
has ever produced; he is often revered as Gujarat's Adi-kavi ie. the
state's first poet, since Narsinh Mehta was perhaps the first poet to
write in Gujarati.
Born somewhere in the 15th century in Talaja (Bhavnagar distt), he
lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle. He was
married to a lady named Manekbai and after his uncle, he went to
Junagadh and began to live with his cousin brother Bansidhar and his
wife (ie. Narsis's sister-in-law or "Bhaabi" as he would call her),
who was a very ill-tempered woman and would always ill-treat Narsi and
his wife as Narsi, being a very innocent and spiritually inclined
person, was never able to do any kind of worldly work efficiently.
Frustrated with the constant nagging from his "bhaabi", he decided to
leave home, went into a forest, where he happened to see a secluded
Shivalinga. Narsinh, in course of some peace of mind meditated on that
Shivalinga for days together and Lord Rudra, pleased with him,
appeared before him. As a benedection, Narsinh asked Rudra to show him
the most beautiful form of the Supreme Parabrahmn.
Legend has it that Rudra showed him the entire Ras-Leela of Shri
Krishna, a specle which amazed Narsinh and pursuaded him to become a
Krishna Premi and offer Madhurya bhaava ie. devotion of a lover to the
Lord, as the Gopikas offered.
After that, an overjoyed Narsi returned home and fell at his bhaabi's
feet, and thanked her for all that nagging, as it was only due to her
that he was able to witness this Leela of the Lord, which even the
greatest of gods and sages yearn to see.