Everything about Vallabha Acharya totally explained
Sri
Vallabhacharya (
1479 –
1531) was a devotional
philosopher, who founded the
Pushti sect in
India, following the philosophy of
Shuddha advaita (Pure Non-dualism).
He is regarded as an
Acharya and
Guru within the Vaishnava traditions as promulgated and prescribed by the
Vedanta philosophy. He is often associated with Vishnuswami, the founder of Rudra Sampradaya.
Within
Indian Philosophy he's known as the writer of sixteen 'stotras' (tracts) and produced several commentaries on the
Bhagavata Purana, which describes the many
lilas (pastimes) of the
avatar,
Krishna. Vallabha Acharya occupies a unique place in Indian culture as a scholar, a philosopher and devotional (
bhakti) preacher. He is widely considered as the last of the four great Vaishnava Acharyas who established the various Vaishnava schools of thought based on Vedantic philosophy, the other three (preceding him) being
Ramanujacharya,
Madhvacharya and
Nimbarkacharya. He is especially known as a lover and a propagator of
Bhagavata Dharma. He was born in
Champaran near
Raipur in the Indian state of
Chhattisgarh.
Childhood
The ancestors of Vallabha acharya lived in
Andhra Pradesh and belonged to a long line of
Telugu Vaidiki Brahmins following the Vishnu Swami school of thought. According to devotional accounts,
Krishna commanded his ancestor Yagnanarayana Bhatta that He would take birth in their family after completion of 100 Somayagnas (fire sacrifices). By the time of Yagnanarayana's descendant Lakshmana Bhatta who migrated to the holy town of
Varanasi, the family had completed 100 Somayagnas. Vallabhacharya was born to Lakshmana Bhatta in 1479 A.D. (V.S. 1535) on the 11th day of the dark half of lunar month of
chaitra at Champaranya. The name of his mother was Illamma. deity discovered by
Madhavendra Puri and disclosed the 'Brahma Sambandha' (Sanskrit for - "Relation with Brahman, the supreme Godhead"), a
mantra of self dedication or consecration of self to Krishna. Vallabha Acharya related this experience to his worthiest and most beloved disciple, Damodardasa, in the early morning - “Damala, did you hear any voice last night” ? Damodaradasa replied in negative. He became the first Vaishnava initiated by Vallabhacharya. He wanted to preach his message of devotion to God and God’s grace called Pushti - Marga. He undertook three pilgrimages of India. He performed the initiation ceremony of religious rite by conferring on them ‘NamaNivedana’ mantra or ‘Brahma Sambandha’ mantra. Thousands became his disciples, but 84 devoted servants are most famous and their life has been documented in Pushti Marg literature as the ‘Story of 84 Vaishnavas’.
Family
Vallabhacharyaji strictly adhered to three rules :
- He wouldn't wear stitched clothes and hence always wore Dhoti and uparna (a cloth covering the torso)
- He always performed pilgrimages bare footed
- He always resided at the outskirts of the village. His sons and their descendants are known as "Goswami Maharajas".
He was to remain a life-long celibate but the
guru Vitthalanatha of Pandharipur commanded him to marry and live the life of householder. He married a woman named ‘Mahakanya’ and had two sons: Gopinatha and Vitthalanatha (also known as Shri Gusainji).
Asura Vyamoha Lila
Based on Pushti Marg literature, in about 1530 A.D.,
Shrinathji commanded Vallabhacharya to leave the worldly life and to come near Him. It is said that Shrinathji had previously expressed His wish on two different occassions. The third command was accepted by Vallabhacharya as the last verdict. He reached
Kasi and according to Vedic traditions, formally renounced the world by taking Sanyasa and a vow of silence. He lived in a hut made of leaves on the
Hanuman ghat for about a week. He spent his last days in contemplation of Krishna and suffered agonies of separation from Him. The members of his family assembled near him for his last
darshan. When asked about his advice, Vallabhacharya scribbled three and a half Sanskrit verses in the sand by way of counsel. To complete this message, it's believed that Krishna Himself manifested visually on the spot and wrote in the form of a verse and a half. This collection of verses is known as ‘ShikshaSloki’ in Pushti Marg literature. He entered into the waters of the
Ganges on the day of
Rath Yatra (A festival that's celebrated on the second or third day of the bright side of the lunar month of
Ashadha). People witnessed a brilliant flame as it arose from the water and ascended to heaven and was lost in the firmament. This episode is known as
AsurVyamohLila.
Sri Vallabhacharya represented the culmination of philosophical thought during the
Bhakti Movement in the middle ages. The sect established by him is unique in its facets of devotion to Krishna, especially His child manifestation, and is enriched with the use of traditions, music and festivals. Today, most of the followers of this sect reside in western and northern India.
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