Narayan Waman Tilak, was a nineteenth-century Christian missionary and a Marathi poet. He was born into a high-caste Brahmin Hindu family in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, and was brought up in a scholarly and orthodox manner. He was fluent in Marathi, Sanskrit, and English and had excellent oratory and writing skills. Tilak, at a very young age, was counted as one of the five eminent poets known as the ‘Panch Kavi’ or ‘Kavi Panchak’ in Maharashtra.

Biography:

Birth: 06-12-1861
Death: 09-05-1919
Native Place: Ratnagiri district
Country: India
Place of Vision: India

     Despite the devotional life he led, Tilak found himself in deep spiritual turmoil and was constantly searching for the Truth. He tried sannyasa, padayatra, and many religious practices to satisfy his soul and even studied Buddhism and Islam, which only confused him further.

During this time, while he was on a train journey, he met a European who engaged him in a lively Christian conversation concerning his spiritual quest.

Narayan Waman Tilak ministry in India:

     Tilak read the New Testament given by that European and suddenly found answers for all his questions when he read the Sermon on the Mount. He realized that Jesus Christ is the Savior that India needs to free itself from idolatry and caste discrimination. Eventually, he was baptized in 1895.

     Being a renowned poet of Maharashtra, Tilak expressed his understanding of the Bible through literary works such as poems and hymns. His understanding of the Bible was more out of his personal walk with the Lord than from somebody else’s preaching’s. He gave up all his material possessions and lived a saintly life. He loved small children, just like Christ did, and taught them the Word of God and also academics. He also established schools for children wherever he went.

     Tilak wrote and composed hundreds of songs and poems in Marathi praising God. He also wanted to present the story of Christ to the Indian people in a more relatable way and started writing Khristayan, which remained unfinished when he died. His ardent devotion, passion, and enthusiasm for Christ remained with him till he breathed his last.