NaaraayaNa Teertar - This learned author of the Krishna Leelaa Taarangini (meaning Wavy River of Krishna's Wondrous Deeds) lived in the Tanjaavoor district in the 17th century, and his parents belonged to a village near Guntoor in Andhra PradEsh. He is believed an incarnation of JayadEva (author of Geeta GOvindam). He early became a scholar in Indian music and BharatanaaTyam. Once, while he was swimming across a stream he was about to be swept away by a current, but he prayed to God to save his life, offering to become a sanyaasi (hermit) with his prayers. He reached the bank safely and went home but did not tell his wife of the incident. However, his wife intuitively knew the vow he had taken and refused to go near him, so he confessed the truth and became a sanyaasi under the direction of Shivaraamananda Teertar, leaving home and visiting holy places. On his tour, he once developed a severe stomachache and prayed to Lord VenkaTEshwara for relief - the Lord told him to follow the first object he saw in the morning. In the morning, he first saw a boar, which led him to Varaahur and disappeared. NaaraayaNa Teertar settled down there and from then on served religion and music. His Krishna Leelaa Taarangini is used as a dance-drama, and his other songs bring out various emotions using a variety of raagams. He is famous for his use of jatis and his bhajan songs. It is said that he died in Tiruppoonturuti 3 years after the first perfomance of Krishna Leelaa Taarangini in Varaahur.

Mudras: Vara NaaraayaNa Teerta, Shiva NaaraayaNa Teerta, Yati NaaraayaNa Teerta, etc.

Compositions:

1. baalaa gOpaala krishNa - mOhanam
   
2. Jaya Jaya Swamin - Mohanam
   
3. Jaya Jaya Ramanatha -Nattai
   
4. Bhuyo Bhuyo puunagavarali
   
5. Ehi mudam dEhi - kamaas
   
6. gOvardhana giridhara gOvinda - darbaari kaanaDa
   
7. gOvindamiha gOpikaa - madyamaavati
   
8. jaya jaya gOkulabaala - raagamaalika
   
9. jayamangaLam - punnaagavaraaLi
   
10. kalaya yashOdE - kEdaara gowLa
    
11. krishnam kalaya saki - mukhaari
    
12. maadhava maamava - neelaambari
    
13. maa mahaapaarata - tODi
    
14. maNgaLaalaya maamava - kEdaara gowLa
    
15. naaraayaNaaya namO - aananda bhairavi
    
16. puraya mama kaamam - bilahari
    
17. shree naraayaNa vaahana - mukhaari
18. Alokaye Rukmini - Kambhoji
19. Kshemam Kuru - Mohanam