Narasimha Saraswati (1378-1459) was an Indian guru associated with the Dattatreya tradition. He is believed to be the second avatar of Dattatreya in the Kali Yuga, following Sripada Sri Vallabha. Narasimha Saraswati was born into a Deshastha Brahmin family in Karanjapura (modern-day Lad-Karanja) in the Washim district of Maharashtra, India. After displaying remarkable abilities in reciting the Vedas, he left home at the age of 8 and went on a pilgrimage to Kashi, where he took sanyasa (renunciation) from Shri Krishna Saraswati and was named Shri Narasimha Saraswati. He visited various holy places before settling in Ganagapur (now in Karnataka) for the last 20 years of his life. Towards the end of his life, he met with the Muslim king of Bidar and later took samadhi (a state of deep meditation) in the jungle of Kadali near Srisailam. His teachings emphasized the adherence to ancient scriptures by Brahmins to achieve happiness and moksha (liberation). The life of Narasimha Saraswati is described in the Shri GuruCharitra, and he has had various disciples throughout history.
Life span: 1378 – 1459
