Brief
Vallabhacharya (1479 - 1531) called his system of thought Shuddhadvaita (pure monism).
According to him, it is by God's grace alone that one can obtain release from bondage and attain Krishna's heaven.
Vallabhacharya (1479-1532), is the son of Lakshmana Bhatta and Yellamma Garu of telugu speaking area presently called Andhra Pradesh in India. They lived in Achanta. Achanta is a big village in West Godavari District. His birthday is 11th day of the dark half of lunar month of chaitra.
Vallabhacharya jayanti is observed basically on Varudhini Ekadashi which occurs in the Krishna Paksha of Vaishakh month according to the North Indian calendar (Poornima Month end) and Krishna Paksha of Chaitra month according to South Indian calendar (Amavasya month end).
The surname of the family is Kambhampati. (The author of this blog post also has the same surname and is also from west godavari only)
Vallabha says that the entire universe is real and is subtly Brahman. The individual souls and the world are, in essence, one with Brahman. Jiva, Kala (time) and Prakriti or Maya are eternal existences, but they have no separate existence apart from Brahman.
Vallabha was a great Sanskrit scholar. He settled down first at Mathura and then at Varanasi. He preached with great zeal the Vaishnava cult and philosophy. He was the founder of many Vaishnava Mutts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. His followers are found in great numbers in Nathdwara.
The important works of Vallabha are Vyasa-Sutra Bhashya (Anu-Bhashya), Jaimini Sutra Bhashya, Bhagavata-Tika Subodhini, Pushti-Pravaha-Maryada and Siddhanta-Rahasya. All these books are in Sanskrit. He has written many books in Braj Bhasha also.
Vallabha’s advocated the worship of Vishnu in the form of Krishna. It was derived chiefly from the Vaishnava philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. It is centred round the conception of a personal and beneficent God. God who is Sat-Chit-Ananda and provides Sat-Chit-Ananda.
Vallabha’s followers worship Bala-Krishna (Krishna as a lad). They have Vatsalya-Bhava (the attitude which regards God as a child) and take care of God as a child.
Details
Source: VALLABHACHARYA: A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND TEACHING
G.A. Natesan & C0. Madras,
https://archive.org/stream/
Vallabhacharya-ASketchOfHisLifeAndTeachings/Vallabhacharya-ASketchOfHisLifeAndTeachings_djvu.txt
VALLABHACHARYA (1479 — I 531 A.D.) PARENTAGE AND FAMILY
Vallabhacharya, the founder of the great Vaishnavite Church of Rajasthan and Gujarat, was the second son of Lakshman Bhatt, a Telingana Brahmin. Lakshman Bhatt was descended from a Brahman named Narayana Bhatt (fourth in direct descent from the latter), was a student of the Black Yajur Veda, and dwelt in a village called Kankarava in the Telugu country. Lakshmana Bhatt lived some Where in the middle of the fifteenth century; the particulars of the exact period are not preserved. He seems to, have, believed that he had been promised by Krishna that he would have three sons, and that his second son would be an incarnation of God himself .
His wife's name was Elamagara, and the first son of the marriage was Ramakrishna.
VALLABHA'S BIRTH
After the birth of this child, Lakshmana Bhatt taking his family with him went on a pilgrimage by the route of Allahabad to Benares. He dwelt there for some time, but, a violent dispute having arisen in the city between the Mussulmans and the Hindu Sanyasis, which resulted in a bloody conflict, Lakshamana Bhatt, apprehensive of the safety of his family, fled away with them. In the course of their flight through the country they eventually arrived at a wild spot called Champaranya. The terror of the flight combined with the wild savageness of the country through which they were fleeing, had the effect upon Elamagara of accelerating labour, she being at the time pregnant with her second child ; and in the midst of the lonely forest she gave birth to an eight-months' child, on Sunday, the eleventh day of the dark half of Vaisakha of the Vikrama year 1535 — .(1479 A. D.)
In a work called Nijrarta, dealing with holy lives belonging to the Vallabhachari sect, it is stated that, when Vallabha was born in Champaranya, a palace of gold sprang up on the spot, and the gods from the heavens showered down flowers, the kinnaras and the gandharvas sang and gods themselves descended in their vimans to see the blessed child. Embarrassed perhapsi'by the circumstances of their flight or trusting to providential intervention to protect the child, the parents, it is said, forthwith abandoned it, placing it gently upon leaves in the shade of a wide-branched tree. Still pursuing their flight, they arrived at a place called Chowdanagar, where, after residing some time, they received intelligence that quiet was completely restored at Benares, upon which they set out to return to that place, and taking intentionally the route by which they had come they speedily reached the spot where they had deserted their infant.
Here, to their astonishment, they beheld. the little child alive and well, playing, it is. said, in the midst of a sacrificial fire in a pit sunk on the spot. After some short repose and refreshment, the parents resumed their journey taking the child with them to Benares which they eventually 1 reached. The name they gave the child was Vadtrabha which was afterwards changed into Vallabha. In the place of his birth, Champaranya, Vallabha's followers, prompted by zeal and love, have erected a temple on the spot of his nativity, which is still in existence. The younger brother of Vallabha who was born some time after was named Kesava.
VALLABHA'S RELIGION AND TEACHING
(To be rewritten)
It was a religion addressed to the worship of Vishnu in the form of Krishna, and in its doctrinal aspects was derived chiefly, like the system of Chaitanya, from the Vaishnavite Philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. Centred round the conception of a Personal and Beneficent God (who is sat, chit and ananda), it laid great emphasis on Pushti (Grace) and Bhakti (Devotion) and has left a body of literature in Sanskrit and vernacular to some extent greater than that of the Chaitanyite sect. The following is an authoritative exposition of the tenets of Vallabha, based upon the works of the sect, from the pen of Sir Bhandarkar. Vallabha's Vedantic theory is the same as that of an earlier author of the name of Vishnuswamin. This Vishnuswamin is said to have been the son of the councillor of a Dravida Chief dependent on the Emperor of Delhi.
The Vedantic theory of Vishnuswamin is as follows: The one primeval soul was not joyful because he was alone (B. U.), and, desiring to be many, he himself became the inanimate world, the individual soul, and the inward controlling soul. These sprang from him like sparks from a burning fire and are his parts (M. U.) By his own inscrutable power he rendered the properties of intelligence and joy imperceptible in the first, and his joy alone in the second, while the third has all the attributes perceptible in it. Simple Brahman as such has perceptible joy prevailing in it.
The following particulars have been gleaned from two works belonging to the Vallabhacharya Sect (Suddhadvaitamartanda by Giridhara and Prameyaratnarnava by Balakrishna Bhatta, Chowkamba Sanskrit Series).
The whole world has Brahman for its material cause. The perception of forms apparently different from the Brahman is due to ignorance or delusion and to the true nature of the Brahman being rendered imperceptible. The individual soul is identical with Brahman, a part of Brahman and atomic. From the Aksara composed of existence, intelligence and joy (Sacchidananda) particles come out as sparks from fire. From the predominance of the sat portion in them the joy portion is concealed, and thus we have individual souls possessing sat, existence and cit, intelligence. The individual soul is not a form of the supreme Soul altered by a third thing being involved in it, such as the Maya (Elusive Power), but is itself the same substance as the Supreme Soul with one attribute rendered imperceptible. The relation between the two is thus that of identity (Advaita), both being in the pristine unchanged form, i.e., identity of untransformed souls (Suddhadvaita).
The individual soul is of two kinds : (I) going through the circle of existences, and (2) delivered from the trammels of life. The first is subject to misery in consequence of his delusion that his body and his senses are his soul He remains in this condition till he acquires knowledge, sees the vanity of the world, devotes himself to meditation and the love of God when he is delivered. The delivered souls are : (i) those who have become so, while in their previous condition, by the termination of ignorance or delusion, such as Sanaka and others ; and (ii) those who dwell in the world of the Bhagavat, other than the pervading Vaikuntha, where they attain the condition of the pure Brahman by the favour of the Bhagavat ; (iii) there are others, who, having the divine nature in them and coming in contact with good men, resort to various ways of Bhakti, or the propitiation of God, until perfect love alone for Him comes to dwell in their heart, and finally become the associates of the Bhagavat in his eternal sports and amusements. Thia last is the highest Moksa or deliverance. The souls who have the divine nature in them are of two kinds: (i) those who subject themselves to certain moral discipline (Maryada Jiva) and (2) those who depend entirely on God's Grace (Pusti Jiva). Both attain final deliverance, but there is a difference which corresponds to that between (ii) and (iii) above and which will be further explained below.
Sri Krishna is the highest Brahman. He has hands and feet not made of ordinary matter (Aprakta), but celestial. His body consists of Sat, existence; Cit, intelligence ; Ananda, joy. He is called Purusottama, as the most excellent of all beings, and has all attributes which are not ordinary but celestial. All his sports are eternal. He with his four arms or two arms sports with his various devotees or Bhakthas, in the extensive Vaikuntha, which contains Vrindavana with its large forests.
Krishna is therefore the highest Joy (Paramananday By his will his Sattva . .portion overcomes the Ananda or joy portion and, becoming Aksara or unchangeable, he is the cause of all causes, and creates the world. Then Aksara Brahman is of two kinds : (i) that which is recognised by the devotees as the place of Purusottama, which has the attributes of the extensive Vaikuntha and others ; (2) to the enlightened it appears in the form of Existence, Intelligence and Joy, infinite in time and space, self- manifesting and devoid of all qualities. Therefore in the form in which the enlightened see it, all the positive qualities are hidden or rendered imperceptible by the inscrutable power referred to above, and therefore they are not to be, regarded as— non-existing. When Brahman is spoken of as devoid of all qualities, what is meant is just this. There are thus three forms of the Supreme Being,
Purusottama and the two kinds of the Unchangeable here mentioned. To explain the controlling of all by Purusottama, that form of his that dwells in the sun, the gods, the earth, etc., is called Antaryamin (the inward controller). It is this inward controller that becomes incarnate in the various forms usually mentioned. The celestial or Sattva quality of Krishna becomes Vishnu, and in this form he becomes the Protector of all. Similarly the qualities of Rajas and Tamas assume the forms of Brahmadeva and Siva for discharging the functions of creation' and destruction.
Pusti is the grace (Anugraha) of God which is to be inferred from its fruit or the results, which are ordinary, or of this world, and extraordinary, or of the next world. Mahapusti or the highest grace is that which removes great obstacles and conduces to the attainment of God himself. Pusti enables one to attain the four objects of life. Extraordinary, or special Pusti, conduces to Bhakti, which leads to the attainment of God. The Bhakti or devotion, generated by this special grace, is called Pusti bhakti. The frame of mind generated by this kind of devotion is the desire of the attainment of God to the exclusion of everything else. This Pusti bhakti is of four kinds : (i) Pravaha Pustibhakti ; (2) Maryada Pustibhakti, (3) Pusti-Pustibhakti, (4) Suddha-Pustibhakti. The first is the path of those who, while engaged in a worldly life with its me and mine, which is compared to a stream (Pravaha), do acts calculated to bring about the attainment of God. The second is of those who, withdrawing their minds from worldly enjoyments, devote themselves to God by hearing discourses about him, singing his name, and such other processes. The third is of those who already enjoying God's grace are made by another grace competent to acquire knowledge useful for adoration ; and thus they come to know all about the ways of God. The followers of this path have to depend on their own efforts for the acquisition of knowledge referred to. The fourth is of those who through mere love devote themselves to the singing and praising of God as if it were a haunting passion. This Bhakti is generated by God himself and does not depend on man's will as the third, mentioned above, does. First a liking for himself is generated by God in the mind of a man to whom His grace extends. Then a man sets about acquiring knowledge about God, and all this is called Premabhakti (love — adoration). Now the stages in the development of this are as follows :
(i) Love or liking (Preman), (2) Attachment or addictedness (Asakti), (3) a haunting passion which is the . mature condition of the first two (Vyasana). The haunting passion leads to the attainment of the end, that is, the highest bliss. Those in whom Bhakti has attained to this pitch reject with scorn the four kinds of Mukti and choose the eternal service of Hari, as noticed in the section on the Pancaratra system. By the haunting passion about Hari he is seen everywhere, and therefore everything becomes an object of love, and the devotee identifies himself with everything. Then the inner and the outer world is, for the devotee, full of Purusottama, or the highest soul. The final fruit of this devotion is admission to the eternal sports of Krishna. The Bhaktas join in these sports, assuming the forms of cows, beasts, birds, trees, rivers, etc, and enjoy the company of Purusottama which confers boundless joy. These external sports are like those which Krishna went through when he became incarnate in Vraja and Vrindavana. Some of the devotees become in the celestial Vrindavana Gopas and Gopis and join in the sports. The Maryada bhaktas attain Mukti, called Sayujya, which consists in being one with Hari. The Pustibhaktas reject it with scorn and seek for participation in the sports of Hari.
Five Most Important Things (Vallabhacharya)
Keshav Anand Das - Audio Channel
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Sources:
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Vallabha
http://sbsaraswati.multiply.com/journal/item/103
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallabha_Acharya
http://www.nathdwara.in/shree_mahaprabhuji.php
http://vallabhpith.com/gallery.php
http://vallabhakul.blogspot.com/2010/08/history-of-shree-mahaprabhuji.html
https://gaudiyahistory.iskcondesiretree.com/vishnu-swami/
A Summary of The Vedanta by Modern Vedic Philosophers
Advaita - Viśiṣṭādvaita - Dvaita - Dvaitādvaita - Śuddhādvaita - Acintya Bheda Abheda
https://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/concepts/vedanta.asp
https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/the-nature-of-brahman
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Etw75G_DxjsC&pg=RA1-PR4#v=onepage&q&f=false
Views of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=2iRLAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA60#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://www.thehindu.com/br/2005/03/29/stories/2005032900011600.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuddhadvaita
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/MahaprabhuShriVallabhacharya
Updated on 17 April 2019, 2 April 2015
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