Narsinh Mehta, also known as Narsinh Bhagat, was a 15th-century poet-saint of Gujarat, India, honored as the first poet, or Adi Kavi, of the Gujarati language. Narsinh Mehta is member of Nagar Brahman community. Narsinh became a devotee of Krishna, and dedicated his life to composing poetic works described as bhakti, or devotion towards Krishna. His bhajans have remained popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan for over 5 centuries. Most notably, his composition Vaishnav Jan To was Mahatma Gandhi's favorite and became popular with freedom fighters across India. Biography Much of what is known about Narsinh Mehta is derived from his own compositions and poetic works, due to the lack of formal historical documentation during this period. Additional insights into Narsinh Mehta's biography are found in works from other poets of subsequent eras, as their poems describe in detail the personality of Narsinh Mehta and certain key events from his life. Though there is no consensus among scholars on exact dates, it is believed Narsinh was born in 1414 and lived until the age of 79. While there is no specific date mentioned in Narsinh's autobiographical compositions or in works from later poets, the incidents depicted establish Narsinh's presence in the 15th century, notably during the reign of Mandallika III. Early life Narsinh Mehta was born in the town of Talaja (now located in the Bhavnagar district, Gujarat). As a member of the Nagar Brahmin community, Narsinh's father held an administrative position in a royal court. Narsinh was mute until the age of eight. He began to speak only after meeting a holy man who had him utter the phrase "Radhe Shyam". His older brother, Bansidhar, was 17 years his senior. Narsinh's parents died when he was five years old, and he was left dependent on his older brother and his sister-in-law. Based on the language, style, and emotion of Narsinh's poetic works, it is believed he studied in his Nagar family tradition and had knowledge of literary tradition and creativity. However, his poetry focuses exclusively on religious devotion and is attributed to becoming a devotee of Krishna. Becoming a devotee of Krishna Narsinh and his wife Manekbai lived in his older brother Bansidhar's home, but were treated very poorly by Bansidhar's wife (Narsinh's sister-in-law or bhabhi). An ill-tempered woman, she taunted and insulted Narsinh repeatedly. One day, when Narsinh had enough of her taunts and insults, he left the house