Name – Sant Narhari sonar

Born –  Pandharpur, Solapur, Maharashtra, India)

Philosophy – Advaita, Varkari

Religion –  Hinduism

Narahari Sonar, a staunch Shaiva saint from Pandharpur, is best known through Mahipati’s Bhaktavijaya. A devout worshipper of Shiva at the Mallikarjuna temple, he refused to even glance at the Vithoba shrine, central to the rival Vaishnava Varkari sect.

One day, a merchant—grateful for a son granted by Vithoba—asked Narahari, a skilled goldsmith, to craft a golden waistband for the deity. Narahari agreed, refusing to enter the temple. Despite multiple fittings based on measurements, the waistband didn’t fit. Finally, the merchant blindfolded Narahari so he could fit it himself—upholding his vow of never seeing any deity but Shiva.

Narahari Sonar, a Marathi saint and goldsmith, composed devotional abhangas rich in spiritual symbolism. He described the world as fleeting, like a wall painting or children’s stone playhouses—ultimately abandoned. In his poetry, he emphasized the guru’s grace, comparing it to tools that tame wild animals, stating his own transformation came through Guru Gaibinatha.

Narahari also spoke of the mystical “unstruck sound” (anahata nada) that inspired deep meditation and divine love. Using his goldsmith trade as a metaphor, he called himself a craftsman of God’s name—melting the soul in the furnace of devotion, shaping it with discernment, and weighing it with spiritual wisdom. His life and work centered on eternal meditation on God.

Narahari Sonar is formally recognized as a Sant (saint) in the revered Bhaktavijaya, a classic hagiographical text. He is also praised in the abhangas of Sant Eknath, who honors him alongside other great Varkari saints. In one of his abhangas, Eknath describes how Lord Vithoba melted gold with Narahari, highlighting the saint’s deep spiritual connection and divine favor.

The Sonar (goldsmith) community, to which Narahari belonged, continues to honor his legacy. They have built a dedicated shrine to Sant Narahari Sonar in Pandharpur, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra, reinforcing his lasting spiritual influence and cultural significance within the Varkari movement.