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Narsinh Mehta is the adi kavi — the first poet — of Gujarati literature and the most beloved saint-poet of Gujarat. A devotee of Krishna, he composed prabhatiyas (dawn hymns) and bhajans whose tenderness and moral clarity have shaped Gujarati devotional life for centuries.

His best-known song, Vaishnava Jana To, defines a true devotee as one who feels the suffering of others as their own. Mahatma Gandhi made it part of his daily prayers, and through him it became known across the world as a hymn of compassion and humility.

Many episodes of his life survive as cherished devotional tradition rather than documented record; his dates, too, are the traditional account.