rp jagadguru shree vallabhacharya mahaprabhuji

Rajan D. Pitamber 24/Oct/09

VAISHNAV SANGH - Class 2. – 01/11/09

With blessings of JeJe guru Goswami Dwarkeshlalji - Presentation prepared by Rajan Pitamber

Jagadguru Shree Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhuji

INTRODUCTION – DHARMA To be born as a Purush (“city with 9 gates” = male and female) is a gift…, a grace of God, and as a result of past karmas. Due to Poorvapunya we are blessed with a higher intelligence in the body of a human, buddhi (discrimination). Therefore we must apply our intelligence in the right and elevated direction (Naraayan). How do we know what is this “correct direction”? – By learning to live one’s life according to teachings of conduct given in the Vedas, Puranas, Ittihasas ….and by GURUS. - a helping hand of an experienced and elevated soul. Light shining on our path. Remover of darkness and ignorance. Conduit/channel through which we can reach God. Teaches us Dharma shastra.. and answer questions.. Dharma means “that which supports, holds”. The laws of dharma (duty/law) were realised by the maha Rishis to help us live in harmony, peace and happiness –- where one must abide by virtues/ethics/right conduct. Who holds us? - God. What holds us? - Truth. Dharma prevails. If not always immediately, ultimately it must, for in dharma is the very breath of God (viz. dictators and evil leaders eventually die out together with their followers). Our body's dharma is service, our mind’s dharma is illumination, and our soul's dharma is eternal union with KRISHNA. The Bhagvat Gita begins with the words Dharmakshetre Kurakshetre and ends with the word "Mama" and simply put, it encapsulates what is "mama dharma" or "my (the student/reader/listener) duty" and how to perform it rightly.

DEHA Dharma - duty to oneself (body) DESH Dharma - duty to environment (society) ATMA Dharma - duty to Atma to find way back to Parmatma

Shri VALLABHACHARYA came to Earth to revive Atma Dharma and bring the lost souls back onto track – people who were immersed in Moha (delusion), and disturbed by worldly vices had consequently succumbed to Shoka (sorrow). He reminded the jiva-atmas of their relation with Paramatma. He taught how to shed this pain-giving Moha by surrendering all to God Krishna, and He guided and directed people on to their correct journey.. i.e. to reach Krishna. However not all egos/atmas were (are) ready for this knowledge as we have seen many times in history through life of so many saints/gurus needing to come down to Earth. Usually when one faces a calamity or loses his/her powers, when our support system crumbles, when we are afraid, or nearing death, or when we are in total confusion not knowing or understanding our dharma then do we surrender to a higher authority and become receptive to His words (viz. Arjun + Krishna in Bhagvat Gita). This willingness to surrender the ego at the feet of the Lord and Guru marks the beginning of wisdom, and hopefully by becoming receptive to the teachings of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharyaji we will take a step forward on the same path trodden before by many of the wise and self-realised.


Shri VALLABHACHARYA - BACKGROUND INDIA has been blessed with numerous avatars of God and honoured by birth of mahatmas, gurus and rishis/saints. Great thinkers are the beacon, inspiration and pride of our extremely rich culture, civilization and history. Such mahatmas have offered so much scientific and spiritual knowledge to the world. One special amongst these great souls is Shree Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhuji (great being) - a scholar, philosopher and preacher of the highest distinction, born in 1479AD in Champaranya (now in the state of Chhattisgarh). In Vikram Samvat 1535 Vaishakh(Chaitra) Krushnapaksh Ekadashi He appeared for the upliftment of divine souls. In fact it is said that Shri Krishna Himself came into the world in the form of Shri Vallabhacharyaji in order to save Hinduism. He founded the Pushti Marg: the path (Marg) towards the grace (Pushti) of God. LINEAGE (Patra) Shri Vallabhacharya’s father was Lakshman Bhatt and mother was Illamagaru, of Telugu origin. Lakshman’s forefathers had performed 95 “SOMA Yagnas” and it was informed to him by his “Guru” that the birth of an “Avtar” would take place in his family after having completed hundred Yagnas.

YagnaNARAYAN BHATT An incarnation of Vedas

(Taught buffalo to speak Vedas!) Performed 32 Soma Yagnas

GANGADHAR Bhatt An incarnation of Shiva

(Made Ganga flow from his hair!) Performed 28 Soma Yajnas

GANAPATI Bhatt An incarnation of Ganapati

(Made copper pots shower from the sky!) Performed 30 Soma Yagyas

VALLABH BHATT An incarnation of Surya

(Made night appear at mid-day within 24 miles area!) Did 5 Soma Yagnas

LAKSHMAN BHATT An incarnation of Vasudev

(very charitable fed 1000 bhramins) Performed 5 Soma Yagnas

Shri Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya

An incarnation of AGNI

Narayan Bhatt was initiated into the Gopal Mantra by a saint named Vishnumuni On the day Narayan Bhatt completed the 32nd Soma Yagna, God told him in a vision that when such 100 soma sacrifices will be performed and completed through his lineage, then HE (God) shall come to Bhatt’s family as an essence and fruit of Soma Yagna Sacrifices. From the sacrificial fires Bhagvan’s deity appeared which is still worshipped by the Vallabha clan today.


BIRTH OF VALLABHA Actually Lakshman Bhatt married 2 daughters of the chief priest of kingdom Vidyanagar. Their names were Yellamagaru and Illamagaru, and because of the destruction of the town Kankarvad, Lakshman Bhatt moved to Kashi/Benares. He had a son named Ramakrishna Bhatt and 2 daughters Saraswati and Subhadra, He settled down in Kashi where he performed 5 Som Yagnas. Thus completing 100 Som Yagnas as prophesised. Here he lived for some time but later fearing disturbance and violence owing to Muslim ruler called Bahulul Lodi he fled with his family by a certain route which took him back to his native place. On his way to the South, he halted at Champaranya, a forest area in Raipur District i.e. formerly in Madhya Pradesh. The terror and physical strain suffered by his wife resulted in the birth of a child at Champaranya, two months prematurely. Taking the child to be still-born for it showed no signs of life at first, the parents sadly placed it under a Shami tree wrapped in a piece of cloth covered with leaves, and proceeded to the village for rest. [The botanical name of this tree is Prosopis spicigera. Every Hindu warrior before going for war would offer prayers to Banni or Shami tree and then proceed. They believed that they would emerge victorious] At night they had a dream in which Radha-Krishna appeared and informed that the Lord had been born as their child whom they had thought as dead. [They left a yellow shawl, chewed beetle nut, and 2 rosaries.] Hence they went to the spot and to their surprise they found the divine baby enveloped by a ring of FIRE as its protecting spirit. The blessed mother extended her arms into the fire and received the divine baby from the fire. The child was later named VALLABHA. = “VERY DEAR AND LOVED BY ALL”. The parents stayed at Champaranya for some days before they returned to Varanasi, when normal condition had once more prevailed.

BORN in A.D. 1479, on APRIL 26th He was born in a forest when his parents were travelling. In a dream God told them that he had come in the form of their child in order to save Hinduism. Gargaacharya who appeared on the scene said this child would have unlimited fame and would uplift countless divine souls through his grace. He also explained why he was born in a thick forest: because Vishnu /Shiva /Bhrama and all other divinities would only appear in an isolated place.

Great persons are believed to have been born under extraordinary circumstances and so was the birth of Shri Vallabhacharya. He had 16 “devaya-nishaani” on his feet. On the 11th day after birth during naming ceremony a Jyotishi gave the divine child a “Deva-Naam” = Krushnaprashad; and “Maas-Naam” = Janaardan; and a “Nakshatra-Naam” = Shraavista (born in Kumbh raashi verified by panchang software – Purvabhadrapad nakshatra = Yajaman vdyaman shakti = “the fire to raise a spiritual person up in life”)). Shri Vallabhacharyaji is considered Amshavatar. He is also known as the Mukharvind of Shri Krishna. It is believed that in God’s Vishwa Swaroop His face is made of fire. When Shri Vallabhacharya’s parents found him


EMERGENCE OF SHRI-NATHJI AT GOVARDHAN PARVAT

The face of the image of Shrinathji, whose upraised hand had appeared years back (1409AD), came to light on Mount Govardhan on the very day when Vallabhacharya was born. Thus the birth of Shri Vallabacharya coincided with the Manifestation of the Mukharvind of Shrinathji. This is yet one more miraculous occurrence connected with Vallabha’s birth. The deity of Shrinathji had come slowly out of the Govardhan Parvat (Shri Girirajji). Through the decades it had made its appearance. First had appeared the left hand, which people worshipped as the hood of a cobra, then years later when Shri Vallabhacharyaji went there, the whole deity came up and

embraced Vallabhacharya in “Pratham Milan”. EDUCATION Lakshman Bhatt himself was a learned man and so he took keen interest in his child’s education. He engaged the best tutors who were well versed in their subjects. His education commenced at the age of six with the study of Vedas. In Vikram Samvat 1542 (1486 A.D.), Shri Laxman Bhatt performed the Upanayan ceremony (Sacred Thread Ceremony) of Shri Vallabh. Shri Laxman Bhatt initiated Vallabh with the Gayatri Mantra and the Gopal Mantra. Throughout his thread ceremony, a Brahmin tried to interpret the Gayatri Mantra as referring to Shakti, i.e., mother Goddess. On hearing this Shri Vallabh disputed that interpretation and propounded that Gayatri Mantra is the energy of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord of the entire Universe. Shri Vallabh learned the four Vedas from the specialists of individual Vedas, and Taittriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajurved from his father. Tirumal guided him through the Rigveda and Samaveda, Narayan Dixit taught him Panini, Gautam and Kanaad's work. He also learned many other scriptures from him. From his Guru, Madhavendra Yati, he learned Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Narad Pancharatra, and many other scriptures. Soon by the age of eleven he had surpassed his teachers with his intensive thinking and sharp reasoning. Child Vallabh awarded the title "JAGADGURU": As a child, Vallabh was extremely intelligent with sharp reasoning powers and precocious oratorical ability. He called himself “Vaishvaanar” or “Vaakpati” – form of universal fire energy situated in the mouth – Agni is verily the face of Lord Krishna Vallabh's first step towards the successful introduction of his Pushti philosophy was In the court of King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar in south India where days long debate was in place on the questions such as, whether the world is real or imaginary, who is the creator of this world? No philosopher had satisfying answer or explanations. At such a crucial time, Sri Vallabhacharya entered the court and within seven days gave satisfactory replies to all the challenging queries and that too with scriptural evidence. All the pundits became speechless in front of him and gave their full consent to His theory of "Shuddhadwaita Brahmavada". These scholars also, awarded him with a title of "Jagadguru", a great teacher of the universe. The king gave 700 gold coins to Acharya Shri Vallabh (Kanaka Abhishek). Just like in today's time, the wealth was a danger in terms of keeping you away from the God and busy in managing the wealth. Vallabh kept only seven coins for the gold shringars (ornaments) and for the construction of ShriNathji shrine. PILGRIMAGES TOURS Unfortunately, Vallabhacharya’s father passed away before long, leaving him, at the age of eleven to the care of his mother. When Shri Vallabh decided to start his first Parikrama he was only 11-13 years old. In India there is a tradition to take leave of one's parents before going out so Shri Vallabh approached his widowed mother and told her that he wanted to go on a parikrama. On hearing this Shri Illamaji (Shri Vallabh's mother) was shocked and refused to give him the permission to do so. But it was necessary for Shri Vallabh to go to Vraj where Lord Shrinathji was waiting for him so Shri Vallabh thought a way out. Shri Vallabh was the incarnation of Agni (Fire) and so on his wish his own house caught fire! Shri Illamaji quickly ran out of the house but Shri Vallabh stayed inside. On seeing his son not coming out Shri Illamaji started screaming "Get out! Get out of the house!!" Shri Vallabh took his mother's sentence (Get out of the house) as her permission to go on a parikrama. This is all Shri Vallabh wanted


to hear and he set out for Vraj. Before setting out Shri Vallabh promised Shri Illamaji that he would be by her bedside when she would pass away (He did keep this promise too!). In order to preach the gospel of love, Shri Vallabhacharyaji began to tour India. He wrote about the society of his times in his Krishnashraya Grantha. He described the moral degeneration that he found everywhere. People lacked gnyan (knowledge) and vairagya (asceticism). Religious rites were followed blindly without any real idea of the essence of religion. The priests and sadhus asked people to renounce the world and mortify the body through fasts and penance. The common people were confused and could not understand how to achieve moksha. Shri Vallabhacharyaji decided to help people by writing about the true meaning of religion. He evaluated the different schools of thought and pointed out their drawbacks. He demonstrated the futility of gnyan and vairagya without bhakti. He did not see the point in renouncing the world – it was better for human beings to stay within the family structure and serve the lord.

Ashtakshara Mahamantra: When Shri Vallabhacharya was on visit to northwest India, the Lord requested him to come to Mount Govardhan to meet Him. Asking people around Mt. Govardhan, Vallabh found that there is one cow going to the mountain everyday and releasing the milk at certain place. Vallabh asked people to dig that area. At this time the Lord revealed Himself to Shri Vallabh in form of Shree Nathji. At this time, the Lord hugs Shri Vallabhacharya and gave him sacred mantra "Shree Krishna Sharanam Mama" to initiate people.

First Disciple - Damodardas As he journeyed along, people were being attracted by his extraordinary divine personality and became his disciples. In Wardha, a 16-year old boy, Damodar Harsani on seeing Shri Vallabh's persona, was so overwhelmed that he immediately joined him as a disciple and remained with him throughout his life time. Damodardas Harsani had forsaken his father's wealth and home forever to perform devotional service at the feet of Shri Vallabhacharya. He later became the first disciple of Vallabhacharya in the Path of Divine Grace or Pushti Marg. Bala Saraswati On their way, they visited Venkatesh laxman Balaji. He was recognized as BalaSaraswati. Here pandit named Ravinatha

tried to test Shri Vallabh's knowledge of vedic mantras. Shri Vallabhacharya correctly recited a hundred mantras, not only from the beginning to end, but also in reverse order. It was particularly in this town that he made a strong impression on the public as an embodiment of Knowledge and consequently he was recognized as Bala Saraswati. Krishnadas Meghan After achieving tremendous success and fame, Shri Vallabhacharya left Vidyanagar and camped on the banks of Pampasarovar. Here a person named Krishnadas Meghan surrendered himself at the feet of Shri Vallabhacharya. Krishnadas Meghan was a resident of Soramji, a village situated near Mathura. He was told by his guru that Lord had incarnated on earth on the day Shri Vallabhacharya was born. On hearing this, he left in search of the incarnation of the Lord. On his way he reached Vidyanagar, where he was told about the glorious success and the divine personality of Shri Vallabhacharya. On meeting Shri Vallabhacharya, he realized that his search was over. He became an ardent devotee of Shri Vallabhacharya and always remained in his service throughout his life.

SURDAS went to Gau Ghat, a sacred bathing spot on the embankments of Yamuna River. It was here that he came across Shri Vallabharacharya (in approx. 1497AD). Vallabharacharya advised Surdas to sing Bhagvat Lila, the Creative Play of the Lord and introduced him to the secrets of contemplative devotion. From this time onwards, Surdas never looked back on the path of spirituality. Surdas spent the last years of his life in Braj, the place of his birth.

He undertook various pilgrimage tours to various places expanding his teachings and perfecting his doctrines. He spent more than fifteen years of his life in pilgrimages. During his trip to Gokarna he was


invited by the king of Vijaynagar. Here he started to introduce his views on Vedas, Gita, the Brahma-Sutras and the Bhagavat. The King requested him to settle down but he wished them well and proceeded giving them the following message:-“You should all be good and religious person – Not a God fearing man but a God loving man. Speak the truth. Be just and honest to all. Treat all persons equally. Have faith in Lord Krishna and surrender yourself to him. Be charitable and never harm the hungry and the weak. Realize that service to men and animals is service to God”. Shree Vallabhacharya used to meditate and talk to his followers in a peaceful surrounding area on the outskirts of towns. There are total eighty four such “Baithaks” all over and they are still regarded with great reverence by the Vaishnavs. It took Shri Vallabhacharyaji three years to complete his tour of India. From Badrinath in north to Rameshwaram in south, and from Dwarika in West to Jaganath Puri in East. Shri Vallabh completed 3 Prithvi Parikramas of India during his life (A parikrama means to circum-navigate an area which is considered pious.) Shri Vallabh's aim of undertaking these parikramas was to meet as many people as possible and teach them his philosophy). Shri Vallabh wanted to reach all the Daivi Jeevas who were there on this earth and take them back to God by giving them the Brahmasambandh Diksha. He met those Daivi Jeevas during the three Parikramas and gave them Brahmasambandh whereby they were accepted by Lord Krishna. Finally he settled in Adel near Allahabad. During all the three parikramas Shri Vallabh imposed three arduous rules on himself:

Do the parikrama barefooted. (He walked 12000 km. barefooted in his life) Never enter a village or city but always stay on its outskirts. Never wear stitched clothes. (He wore only a dhoti and a small piece of cloth known as a

Uparana throughout his life) Grand temple of Shri Nathji Once, when Shri Vallabhacharya was at Govardhan (Vraj), a Kshatriya, Seth Pooranmal of Ambala (Punjab) came to Shri Vallabhacharya and told about a dream, which was inspired by the Lord Srinathji to build a grand temple for him on Mount Govardhan (Jatipura). Shri Mahaprabhuji asked Seth Pooranmal to immediately start the temple work. An architect, Hirmani, was called from Agra, and under the direction of Shri Vallabhacharya, Pooranmal Kshatriya laid the foundation stone for the grand temple of Shreenathji. It took 20 years to complete the temple, an excellent piece of artistry. On Vaishakh Shukla Teej (Akshay Trittiya) of Samvat 1576 according to Hindu calendar, Shri Mahaprabhuji placed the deity of Lord Shrinathji in the newly built temple with great splendour and started the services of the Lord. Meeting with Lord Vitthalnathji (Pandurang - Pandharpur) Pandharpur is a religious place in Maharashtra. At Pandharpur, Shri Vallabhacharya camped on the banks of river Chandrabhaga opposite the famous temple of Lord Vitthalnathji (Vithoba). Lord Vithalnathji came to Shri Vallabhacharya and they embraced each other joyfully. Later, on Vallabhacharya's second visit, Lord Vitthalnathji asked Shri Mahaprabhuji to get married so that the Lord Himself can incarnate in his family married so that the Pushti Marg could be propagated for generation after generation. From Pandharpur, Shri Vallabhacharya visited Nasik and Trimbak. Then on, he proceeded to the banks of river Tapti and then on to river Narmada visiting various shrines situated on the banks of these rivers. From here he left for Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh). Gokul Along with his disciples like Damodardas Harsani and Krishnadas Meghan he arrived in Gokul. This was the early childhood place of Shri Krishna. While on the banks of river Yamuna, Shri Yamunaji appeared before him and he praised her by spontaneously composing and reciting Shree Yamunashtakam Stotra. He camped at Gobind Ghat where he gave discourses on Shrimad Bhagwat. Brahma-Sambandh While in Gokul, Shri Vallabhacharya was deeply concerned about the question of restoring the people to the path of devotion. What he had seen on his travels made him extremely unhappy. His despair became unbearable on the eleventh day of the bright half of Shravana. It was past midnight when he was exceedingly troubled by this question, Lord Krishna appeared before him in the form of Shreenathji and told Shri Vallabhacharya to initiate the people on the path of Complete Self Surrender to the Lord with Love and modesty and simplicity through Brahma-Sambandh. The Lord promised Shri Vallabhacharya that He would accept the services of all the devotees initiated with the Brahma-


Sambandh. The Lord gave him the Gadya Mantra*, as an explanation to the five syllable mantra and Shri Vallabhacharya was very happy. - The gist of the mantra is, ‘God is the real owner of all the things in this world. That which I consider my own does not really belong to me. I surrender to God whatever I possess. Oh... Krishna , I am your servant.’ Shri Mahaprabhuji garlanded the Lord with cotton thread garland (Pavitra) and offered him misri (crystals of sugar). As soon as the Lord disappeared Shri Mahaprabhuji composed Shri MADHURASHTAKAM praising the form and beauty of Shri Krishna the way he appeared before him. This was on the 11th day of Shravana Shukla of Samvat 1549. This occasion is celebrated in the sect as the day of Pavitra Ekadashi. It is also known as the day of the birth of Pushti Marg (Path to Grace of God). Brahma-Sambandh is a means of complete dedication and surrender of self to the Lord. Brahma-Sambandh means the establishment of a renewed relationship between the soul and God in which the soul accepts the relation as a servant (das) with the Lord as the Master. With this new relation with God, the soul becomes completely free from all sins provided it remains faithful to the vow of surrender it has taken and it goes on growing in the Grace of God. The Lord accepts the services of such devotees. Next day, on Shravan Shukla 12, Shri Mahaprabhuji initiated Damodardas Harsani with the Holy Mantra. This made Damodardas the first Vaishnava in the path of Divine Grace ie. Pushti Marg. Now anybody could take brahma-Sambandh, irrespective of caste, creed, race, color, wealth, age or sex. He gave Brahma-Sambandh* to many people and wrote a stotra*, Siddhanta Rahasya to explain the importance of Brahma-Sambandh and the basic principles of Pushti Marg. From Gokul, Shri Mahaprabhuji returned to Mathura where he made a decision to go on a journey across Vraj. In the month of Bhadrapada, the eleventh month of the Hindu Calendar, he took the oath for circumambulation of Vraj(Vraj Yatra). After departing from Mathura, he camped at Madhuvan, and then proceeded to Talvan, and then onto Bahulavan. Shree Vallabhacharya settled down in Varanasi and accepted Mahalakshmi the daughter of a Brahmin called Madhu Mangalam, in marriage after consulting his mother. He had two sons. The elder was named Shri Gopinathji and the second son whose name was Shri Vithalnathji in reverence to Shri Vitobha of Pandharpur, whose incarnation he was believed to be. Shri Vallabhacharya being a great scholar had written innumerable books and his commentaries on Srimad Bhagvata Purana are considered the best. FINAL DAYS At the age of fifty two he detached himself from the world and started meditating and singing the songs of praise of Shri Krishna. One week prior to his departure from this material world, he took a vow of silence on the Hanuman Ghat in Varanasi at the bank of river Ganges . His two sons requested him to guide them and give his last message. As he had taken a vow of silence, he wrote a few words on sand; which were as follows:- “Listen to my last words. I forsee a time when you will forget God and become engrossed in worldly matters. It is likely that you will become slaves of your passions which will turn you away from the path of Devotion. Instead of rendering service to God which is your primary duty, you will fritter away your time and energy in idle pursuits. But if you follow my advice, God will not forget you. You should believe that Krishna is our God and never slacken your faith in him and then he will surely protect you. You should regard him as the be-all and end-all of your life. Your ultimate good lies in serving him, which should be done with all your heart, mind and soul. Trust in his protection. Remember him always in all thoughts, words and deeds”. As soon as he ended, Lord Krishna manifested himself visually on the spot and wrote in the form of a verse completing Shri Vallabhacharya’s message and counsel thus:- “If you have faith in me, you will be under my care and protection and will not suffer failure of any sort. Be free from sorrows and anxieties concerning your future, for you are safe in my hands. Only you should love me with the love of Gopis. If you do so then you will surely secure liberation. That is the only mean of union with Me, by which you will regain your original divine nature. Do not give your thoughts to worldly matters. Be devoted to me and render service to “ME” by all the Means at your disposal”. Soon after this Shree Vallabhacharya rose from his seat and entered into the waters of the Ganges singing to himself the song of the Gopis and the Yugala Gita from the Bhagavata, Concentrating his mind on God’s form. And to a brilliant flame in the form of God arose from the water and whisked him away in the sight of thousands of men, women and children who had congregated there to have his last Darshan.


It is said that Lord Krishna then came to the sons and the devotees of Mahaprabhuji who were mourning his loss. He told them that He would always be by their side to help them. Shri Krishna’s words and the example of Shri Vallabhacharyaji’s life were an inspiration to those left behind. They took up the work of Mahaprabhuji and spread his message through years to come. This aspect gives him transcendental character to prove that he was not “Prakrutic” (natural) person like us but divine. We also call him as Mahaprabhuji. Hence Vaishnav’s consider Shri Krishna, Shree Yamunaji and Shree Vallabhacharya on equal footings, for this simple reason that all the three are inherently capable of emancipating the souls from the bondage of life and death MICRACLES / ANECDOTES OF VALLABHACHARYA

Brings back to life the dead family cow Yashoda when only a child During pilgrimage visiting Ujjain Sandipani Ashram he found no trees at all. So he planted a

Peepal leaf and soon a full grown tree appeared and people took darshan. In Malyachul a man called Hemgopal had a severe heat rash which could not be alleviated

by Chandan(sandalwood), however by just touching Mahaprabhu’s feet he got cured After winning a debate in Jaganathpuri Vallabhacharya was asked to provide further proof

from the Lord. So a note and pen was put to the God and later answers were reveled, i.e. that Devaki putra’s Geeta is the supreme shastra ; Devaki’s putra is the main DEVA; His name is the only true mantra; and His seva is the best & only karma

Feeding hundreds of Vishnu Swami’s sadhus from a single pot of Kheer which was Prasad

of Thakorji (samagri patra akshay). “To feed the hungry is Dharma”. Temple of brave cow in Bahulawan – Muslim Hakim ordered the closure of pujas of this

stone cow unless you can me the statue eat grass! So Mahaprabhuji brought the cow to life by chanting Vedic mantras and sprinkling of holy water and then she ate grass.

In Kashi on River Ganga banks Mahaprabhu was meditating when His elder brother proudly

showed off his siddhi… by walking on water. “What big deal have You achieved by becoming an acharya.. Look at me what I can do walking on the Ganga”. Then Mahaprabhu braks his siddhi and he sinks into the river… later apologises.

Near Gujarat a fee bhramins make a debate (Vaad) and lose. Thereafter they send 100

more bhramins who begin asking questions at the same time… so Mahaprabhu make 100 heads (so-mukh) and answered all at the same time.

TEACHINGS OF VALLABHACHARYA Bhakti Marg - DEVOTION, LOVE OF GOD, IMPLICIT SURRENDER Bhakthi marg is for anyone. It is just surrendering in totality. This path of Devotion is where one renounces everything and leaves everything to God. It is the easiest path and one needs to have faith in God to be able to walk this path Pushti Bhakti – grace filled, bountiful, overflowing love Liberation has no bliss in itself. The Ananda (bliss) aspect of Shri Krishna is what a Pushti devotee seeks through his devotion. This Ananda lies nowhere else but in Shri Krishna's Bhakti alone. Pusti Bhakti can never be practiced with expectation in return. Hence it is called "Bhaituki", i.e. without a reason, or "Nishkama" or desire less. >>“Prem Lakshan Bhakti”.<< JEEV Jeev-atma – is part and parcel of God. All Jeevs are in different evolutionary stages (weakened by unrighteous karmas). PARMATMA created universe and other atmas.. Daivya Jeev (righteous, god-fearing) + Asuria Jeev (materially inclined with negative traits) Pushti Jeev (nourishment and strength “Poshan” obtained by God’s grace) Vallabha accepted four basic works as authority: (1) the Vedas, (2) the Bhagavad-Gita, (3) the Brahma-Sutra, and-(4) the Bhagavata. The order of these works, we are told, is most logical, as the doubts in each preceding work arc removed by the one that follows. The doubts in the Vedas are therefore to be removed in the light of the –Gita … and so on.


BOOKS WRITTEN BY MAHAPRABHUJI Shree Vallabhacharya wrote many books, but many of them are not available today due to lack of proper preservation. Many important books / articles / padas written by Vallabhacharya and the Acharyas of Vallabhkul are still available and famous in vaishnava society. Yamunashatakam, Navaratnam and many other padas, and Subodhiniji book are very important for Vaishnavas to read and understand The Anubhashya The Anubhashya (His treatise on Brahmasutra by Shri Vedavyasa). The Tattvartha-Dip Nibandh His second most valuable grantha (work) is the Tattvartha-Dip-Nibandh which contains three chapters:

The Shastrarth Prakaran : It is related to the propogation of the Shhudhadwaita philosophy. The Sarva Nirnaya Prakarana : It deals with all the principle schools of Hindu philosophy. The Bhagwatarth Prakaran : It consists of a lucid explaination of the meaning of Shrimad

Bhagwat.

Shri Subodhiniji Shri Vallabh had also written an in depth commentary on Shrimad Bhagwat, the Subodhini. Though Shri Vallabh was not able to write on all the skandhs(cantos),it still stands out as a very masterly and critical work. The meaning which the author of Shrimad Bhagwat wanted to convey to the people has been explained in a very masterly manner in this work. The Shodash Granthas The Shodash Granthas are a collection of sixteen works of Shri Vallabh in which Shri Vallabh has discussed a spectrum of subjects starting from salutation to Shri Yamunaji in Shri Yamunashtakam and ending with the grantha Seva-falam in which Shri Vallabh has discussed about the fruits of performing the seva of Lord Shrinathji.The Shodash granthas are most important for any Vaishnava as they teach him to live life according to Pushtimarg. This is the reason why the Shodash Granthas are also known by the name Vallabh Gita. As in the Bhagwad Gita Lord Krishna taught Arjuna to look at life from a new perspective and to know the truth about life Shri Vallabh has also taught his disciples, the Vaishnavas, to live a pious, peaceful life and to achieve the true goal of life which is the attainment of God in these sixteen granthas A list of the sixteen in a chronological manner is given below.

The Shodash Granthas 1.Shri Yamunashtakam 5.Shri Siddhant Rahasya 9.Shri Krishnashraya 13.Shri Panch Padyani

2.Shri Balabodha 6.Shri Navratna 10.Shri Chatuh-Shloki 14.Shri Sanyasa Nirnayam

3.Shri Siddhant Muktavali 7.Shri Antahkaran prabodha 11.Shri Bhakti Vardhini 15.Shri Niridh

Lakshanam 4.Shri

Pushtipravahamaryada Bheda

8.Shri Vivek-Dhairya-Ahsraya 12.Shri Jalbheda 16.Shri Seva-falam

The Purshottam Sahastranam Stotra This stotra of Shri Vallabh needs special mention because it has a unique place amongst the Vaishnavas of Pushtimarg. A very interesting tale is related to the making of this grantha. Shri Gopinathji had a principle that he would eat only after completing the Bhagwat Parayan (reading the whole Bhagwat once which means reading 567000 letters or 18000 shlokas or 334 chapters).It would take Shri Gopinathji one and a half days to complete this Parayan and so he ate once in one and a half days. Due to this Shri Vallabh became worried as this would have affect on Shri Gopinathji's health. So he decided to create a stotra which would contain the summary of all the Avtars and lilas described in Shrimad Bhagwat. With this in mind he created the Purshottam sahastranam stotra. This stotra of 252 shlokas is equivalent to Shrimad Bhagwat and the vaishnavas of Pushtimarg recite this stotra regularly even today. PUSHTIMARG INTRODUCTION: PUSHTIMARGYA OF VALLBHA ACHARYA is a “Sampradaya” - This Religious system has 8 characteristics (a Panth has 5 only):

1. ACHARYA 2. ISHTA SWAROOP (we serve BaalKrishna swaroops in Pushtimargya.)


3. MANTRA (2 mantras in Pushti) 4. VEDANT (Vallabha’s vedant) 5. DHARMA CHINAHA (symbols) 6. PARAMPARA Gaadi (Vansha) – e.g. Raghu, Yadav, Vallabha 7. SADHAN PRANALI (seva prakar>> Nitya/daily seva + Varso Utsav) 8. PHAL (Bhagvat Paapti)

Pushtimarg CHARACTERISTICS: Suddh Advait” philosophy (pure monism) of Vallabha - It says the world is true, real, good and pure. But what could be false about the world is the way we see it. The world is the manifestation of the Supreme Godhead...Vallabh sampradaya believes that everything is Krishna and nothing but Krishna – we are not separate entities. We are Jeev atmas trying to re-connect to the Paramatma from where we originated – the Purush-Uttama KRISHNA. Not obsessed with liberation but only pleasing Seva to Krishna. To be with Krishna we serve with Bhava (unconditional loving attitude) like the Gopis of Vrindavan. [ Gopi = absorbing love of Krishna with 10 sense organs+senses] As mentioned before, many paths to reach God (e.g. like many schools with different protocols, teachers and uniforms, yet curriculum is the same and result is the same qualification in the end.). We try to choose the most comfortable and easiest path to attain our goal. Our path is PATH OF GRACE and intense love (Krupa Marg) as taught by Shri Vallabhacharyaji. After deep study and practical experience Vallabha introduced a simple way to attain God by following simple principles and rules. God Himself showers His grace on His Pustimargya Vaishnavas and we obtain spiritual nourishment thereby.

Instead of ritualistic worship (puja) the emphasis is on elaborated Seva (service) and bhakti of Lord Krishna to fulfil every kind of happiness of the Baal swaroop – thus mind remains fully engaged and focused on a personal God which reinforces our bhakti/devotion.

In this Bhakti Marg, Pushti Vaishnavas perform Seva along with responsibilities of family and society life (i.e. we remain Grihasta).

Pushtimargis do not renounce life to become sanyasis, but perform their Dharma duty to life and Seva to Krishna with support of family.

As per Hindu tradition one has to be initiated by a Guru to follow Pushtimarg, and our gurus (Goswami balaks) are from the lineage of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharyaji.

Griha Seva – personal service performed at home to a personal God Swaroop (Thakorji) sanctified (Pushtav) by the Vallabhkula Balak (Guru)

Seva can be performed after initiation/permission of Vallabhkula through taking of Bhramasambandh

God is invited HOME rather than sought OUTSIDE Unlike most ritualistic Pujas (honourings, adorations for attaining blessings or other material

things), this Pushti Seva is undertaken selflessly without asking for any returns or rewards – just out of pure sincere love and devotion.

Always the mind is focussed only on Krishna = “BHRAMAVAD” = all is Krishna Tulsi kanthi necklace, and Tilak (U) for males, red Bindi and saree for women are the main

symbols. Importance of TULSI (Holy Basil – medicinal plant used in Ayurveda) It is said in Vishnudharmottar (Part of Puranas): “The Lord says that one who wears the beads made out of the wood of Tulsi in one's neck, even if he is untidy and of ill-character, will undoubtedly attain Me only.“ In Garud Purana it is stated: “All those people of evil argumentative mentality who say why to wear Tulsi beads, what results are attained by wearing them, and don't wear Tulsi beads around their neck, burn in the fire of anger of Sri Hari and will never get liberated from hell.” Perhaps other healing and beneficial properties of Tulsi that science is not aware of still today!? KSHAYANKA – REDUCING NUMBER

KRISHNA – Purna Purshottam – (born on 8th Tithi) >>> Explain mathematical reason!? RAMA – Maryada Purshottam – (born on 9th Tithi) >>>

Purna Avatar is the closest to a complete embodiment of Divine Energy while appearing in a human-like form. Krishna is often cited as an example because he gave the appearance of being human but was reported to have completely Divine Body. Indeed, among all the avatars, he was the only one to openly state "Do not try to copy me or imitate me. I am not like you." Whereas most of the avatars taught people to follow their example, Krishna stands out because he said exactly the opposite.

rp jagadguru shree vallabhacharya mahaprabhuji

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