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Françoise Mallison
Nirgrantha
bhanitā of Narasimha. K. K. Shastri quotes the example of an old version of Vaisnavajana
bearing this signature (Shastri, Narasimha Maheto, 264). 21. Shastri, Kavicaritra, 203-216, and Desai, Prācīna Kavio., 254-260. 22. Ed. K. K. Shastri, Sri Mahābhārata (Gujarati prabandha), II, Bombay 1933, 274. 23. Bhayani, “Vaisnavajana," Bhāśāvimarśa, 165. 24. This vārtā records the life-story of Krsnadāsa, the fourth of the eight astachāpa, himself
hailing from Gujarat. The account of Mira-bãi is in the first episode (prasaṁga) : in order to prove his exclusive faith in the community of Vallabhācārya, Krsnadāsa refuses Mira's offer of hospitality and her gifts (see Ed. G. D. Parekh, Caurāsī vaisnavana ki vārtā, Mathura
1970, 530f., and R. Barz, The Bhakti Sect of Vallabhācārya, Faridabad 1976, 41 and 213f.) 25. Pada : 'Padhāryā Hari Kumkumane pagale', Ed. Jesalpura, Narasimha Mahetāni., 241. The
Vallabhan gaddi at Surat which serves the svarūpa of Balakrsna was not always acknowledged by the other gaddi of the sampradaya. It owes its installation at Surat in
the year 1670 more to internal problems of inheritance than to Muslim persecution. 26. In fact, I was even told once at Mālīā, a small town near Junagadh in Saurashtra where
Narasimha Mahetā is supposed to have spent his life, that Narsī was not a 'pusti-pusti
bhakta' but a 'maryādā-pusti bhakta' ! 27. Ed. I. S. Desai, Brhat Kävyadohana, VIII, Bombay 1913, 458-470. 28. See the introduction of M. T. Teliwala to his edition of the Vidvanmandanam of
Śri Vitthaleśvara, the son of Vallabhācārya, Kaman 1926, 3f. · 29. Bhayani, "Vaišnavajana", Bhāṣāvimarşa, 163-167. 30. K. N. Joshi, "Narasimha Mahetae Vaisnavajanani vyakhyārupe sarjelä padani mimāmsā,"
Svadhyāya, 11-4, Baroda 1973, 326-328. 31. Shastri, Narasimha Maheto.,264f. 32. Ed. A. N. Bhojak, "Kavi Māvā-Māvaji racita Vaisnavabhaktaprabandhacopai," Sambodhi, 6
3,4 Ahmedabad 1977-78, 1-5. 33. Bhayani, "Vaisnavajan,” Bhāṣāvimarśa, 166. 34. According to K. N. Joshi, "Narasimha Mahetae.," Svādhyāya, 324f., the word Vaisnavajana
might have been coined by Narasimha and is less frequent than harijana. 35. Bhayani in "Narasimha-svădhyāya-3 : Vaisnava Narasimha," Bhāṣāvimarsa, 7-3, Ahmedabad
1984, 4, lists the different aspects of the Vaisnavism of Narasimha Mahetā which includes
Jainism, Nāthism and the sambhoga-śrmgāra type of bhakti. 36. In fact the unique manuscript of this poem was produced for a Jaina collection, according
to the colophon. 37. It is remarkable that the influence is mutual. Instances of Jaina monks composing Gujarati
verses on the Krsna legend and miracles can be quoted; see, for instance, H. Bhayani, "Jalakamala prabhātiyāni prācīnatā ane tenuñ kartstva," Anusandhāna, Ahmedabad 1972, 55-78 (reprinted from Svädhyāya, 7, Baroda 1969 398-412); or the Somakrta Sudāmāsära,
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