Narasī Mehtā
Narasī Mehtā · narasī mehtā, “Narasī Mehtā, the bhakta of Gujarāta”
Narasī Mehtā, whom the Bhavishya Purāṇa also calls Nāthī and Naraśrī, is a bhakta of the Gujarāta region. The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that he was born by the aṃśa of Dhruva, the fifth Vasu. By the grace of Bhagavān Śaṅkara he had darśana of the divine līlā of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa in Vṛndāvana, and at the marriage of his daughter and son Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa himself came with the Yādavas and fulfilled his wishes. The text calls him the supreme Vaishṇava and Bhaktarāṭ, king of bhaktas. He came to Kāśīpurī and became a disciple of Rāmānanda.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 17
His origin in Dhruva
Sūta tells Śaunaka what Devaguru Bṛhaspati told Devendra at Prayāga. In ancient times there was a kshatriya king named Uttānapāda, and his son was the renowned Dhruva. Abandoned by father and mother, the five-year-old Dhruva, on the upadeśa of Devarshi Nārada, came to Govardhana mountain, took up a great vrata and for six months performed dhyāna of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Bhagavān Vishṇu, pleased, gave him a place in the circle of the sky.
In his former birth this Dhruva was a brāhmaṇa named Mādhava, who bathed at dawn for sixty years. By the puṇya of serving the tīrthas he became dear to Bhagavān Mādhava, and by the fruit of bhakti and tapas he was born in the next birth from the womb of Sunīti as Dhruva. After ruling for thirty-six years Dhruva took his place in the sky.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 17
His life
Sūta says that Dhruva, the fifth Vasu, on hearing Bṛhaspati, was born by his aṃśa in the Gujarāta region as the bhakta Nāthī, Narasī Mehatā.
By the grace of Bhagavān Śaṅkara he had darśana of the divine līlā of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa in Vṛndāvana. At the time of the marriage of his daughter and son, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa, who loves his bhaktas, came with the Yādavas and fulfilled his wishes.
The supreme Vaishṇava, Bhaktarāṭ Naraśrī, then came to Kāśīpurī and became a disciple of Rāmānanda.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 17
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 17