Mahatma Isardas (Sanskrit: भक्त-कवी-श्री महात्मा ईसरदास IAST: Bhakta-Kavi-Śrī Mahātmā Īsardāsa) was a 16th-century Indian Hindu saint-poet, who is revered as a devotee of Lord Krishna in Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India.
He is associated with having done miraculous works, and due to his high devotion to Krishna, he was called Īsara-so-parameśvara (Īsardāsa is a manifestation of the Almighty himself).
[1] Isardas Barhath was born in a Vaishnava Charan family in the 16th century c. AD 1539 (VS 1595) in Bhadresh village of Barmer district in Rajasthan, India.
[3] Panarāsau pichchāṇave, janamyā Isaradas | cāraṇa varaṇ chakār mean, uṇ din huanvo ujās ||[4]While living in Bhadresh, Isardas had two sons—Jagoji and Chundoji from his wife Deval Bai (first marriage).
[6] In Jamnagar, Isardas studied the classics, especially the Bhagavata under Pitambar Bhatta, who was an erudite scholar of the Jam Rawal's court.
After learning about the demise of Isardas's first wife, king Jam Rawal arranged for the second marriage of Isar Das in a respected Charan family of Gujarat.
[9] Jam Rawal presented Isardas with 'Kod Pasav' and also awarded the villages of Sanchano, Rangpur, Birbadarka, Goondho, etc.
Some of them are: The Sultan of Ahmedabad (Gujarat) imposed a tax of one lakh rupees on the Charans, who were horse-traders by profession, thinking they were wealthy.
When the news of the imprisonment of Isardas reached the king of Halvad, Raja Rai Singh, he delivered the payment to the Sultan of Ahemdabad.
[10] Similarly, this Sultan also taxed the Ahirs of Kathiawar and threatened to convert them to Islam and make them Muslims in the event of non-payment.
Isradas's compositions in Rai Singh's praise:[10] Kārāgrah sū kāḍhiyau, bīdag bījī bār । Aiyo rāyāansigh rā, ghar handā upagār ।।Another verse is as follows: Kar fālūan gochh ghaḍae snap kāḍhū, dhaṣhat tele hāth gharū। Rāyāansīh sarīso rājā, koī hove to dhīj karūan ॥॥Which translates: 'Taking the burning shell in the hand, Holding the snake in my hands, By putting my hand in burning hot oil, I can say to the world that there is no other king like Rai Singh on this Earth'[11]
[10] Ghānantar mayanka haṇū sukra dhāvo, nar pālak rudra riṣh nivaḍa। Ek bāragī karaṇ uṭhāḍo, branapaṭ taṇo prāgavaḍa ॥ Jo tū āi nahī jīvāḍai, saravahiyon dīnā cho sāma। Tūjh taṇo oṣhad dhānantara, ke din fir āvasī kām ॥ Karaṇ jīvasī guṇ māne kavi, kei jagat chā sarasī kāj । Amī kevaṇ din arath āvasī, avis nahī jo sasiyar āj ॥ Ānṇe oṣhad karaṇ uṭhāḍo, jag sah māne sānch jim । Haṇumat lakhaṇ taṇī parasidh huva, kavaṇ mānasī hutī kim ॥[11]Once on his way to Dwarka (according to Kaviraja Muraridan, while going to Amreli), Isardas made a stop in a small village on the banks of the river Venu.
[10] There are few Dingal couplets relating this incident: Nadī bahuantī jāya, sād j sāangariya diyau।Kahajyāan morī māya, kavi ne dīje kāmalī ।।[11]Translates as: While going out into the river, Sanga said to his mother that she give a blanket to the poet.
This verse of Keshavdas Gadan, a contemporary saint-poet, is very popular on the subject of Hariras: Jag prājalato jāṇa, agha dāvānala ūparān । Rachiyo rohaḍ rāṇa, mamad harī ras sūravat ॥[8]After living in Gujarat-Kathiawar for 49 years till the age of 65, Isardas decided to return to his birthplace and spent the rest of his life there.
[1] Many later poets were influenced by Hariras and Deviyan, sacred texts of the Vaishnavites and the Shaktas respectively, prominent among whom were Surajanji (Katha Harigun),Udoji Adinga (Vishnu Charit), Muni Man (Gyanrasa), and Veni Ram (Jinarasa), .
[13] Kaviraj Bankidas Asiya, Suryamal Misran, and several other poets were influenced by the veer-ras kavya (martial poetry) composition, Hala-Jhala ra Kundaliya.