Narayan Vaman Tilak [1862 – 1919]
Tilak was one of the five eminent poets known as the Panch Kavi in Maharashtra. He was a Marathi poet who was born into a high-caste Brahmin family in Ratnagiri District.
Growing up Tilak was deeply influenced by his grandfather and mother and had a great desire to learn Sanskrit. From a young age he was known for his elocution and oratory skills. Tilak also had a desire to learn English and he started byhearting words from an English Dictionary. Once when his headmaster asked him if he knew English, he replied that he had learnt it up to the letter ‘M’. Inspired by this he was admitted to school free of charge.
Tilak grew to be a renowned poet & speaker at a very young age. He was only 18 & his wife was only 11 when they got married. Leaving his wife with her parents, he constantly wandered in search for truth and he frequently changed occupations for a decade. Once Dhamak, a holy man he was discipled by ordered him to go back to his wife.
“Tilak felt that the twin bounds of idolatry and caste should be broken to restore India to her glory.” When he was 20 he met a sadhu from Bengal who shared the same vision. An outcome of the friendship was the yearning that India needed a spiritual awakening.
Influenced by a missionary named E.F. Ward who did relief work during a famine, In his early thirties Tilak began to read the Bible in search of God, and eventually, was baptized on February 1895.
In his forties Tilak recommitted his heart to Christ and gave up all his material possessions. He loved being with children and teaching them, especially English. Wherever he moved he started a school, and children would flock to him.
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