and went to a nearby forest in search of some peace, where he fasted and meditated by a secluded Shiva lingam at Gopnath mahadev Mandir for seven days. Pleased by his devotion, Shiva manifested before Narsinh and took him to Vrindavan where he saw Krishna and the Gopis dancing (ras leela). There, he was given the service of holding the torch which lit the grounds for Krishna and the Gopis. He was so engrossed in watching Krishna that he didn't realize the torch was burning his hand. Krishna was pleased with Narsinh's devotion and granted him a wish. Narsinh asked to have never-ending devotion of Krishna and the ability to sing about his glory. Krishna granted him this, along with the constant vision of ras leela and the promise to always be at Narsinh's side. He resolved to compose around 22,000 kirtans or compositions. After this transformative experience, Narsinh returned to his village, touched his sister-in-law's feet as reverence, and thanked her for insulting him for had she not made him upset, the above episode would not have occurred. Thereafter Narsinh moved out of his brother's home and to a small house in Junagadh, where he began a life of devotion dedicated to Krishna. Time in Junagadh In Junagadh, Mehta lived in poverty with his wife and two children, a son named Shamaldas, and a daughter for whom he had special affection, Kunwarbai. His popularity grew as a bhajan singer, as he sang and danced the praises of Krishna in the company of all, regardless of gender, class, and caste. The Nagar Brahmin community, which Narsinh belonged to, found it offensive that Narsinh associated with those deemed a lower caste. The Nagar Brahmins were considered "high ranking", and known for their elegant manners, musical skills, and court appointments. Many Nagar Brahmin's at the time worshipped Shiva, and some sources state this contributed to their opposition and torment of Narsinh, who was an ardent Krishna devotee. Narsinh's autobiographical works as well as later compositions from other poets provide a glimpse of certain key incidents from his life, depicting Narsinh's bhakti towards Krishna. The wedding of Shamaldas The family priest of an influential individual named Madan Mehta, came to Junagadh in search of an appropriate partner for Madan Mehta's daughter. A local Nagar Brahmin suggested the priest meet Narsinh's son Shamaldas, hoping the priest would experience Narsinh's poverty and spread this news