:: Jeevan Charitra (Life Sketch) of Shree Vallabhacharyaji ::

INCIDENTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

At one time he was passing through a place called Gebhar forest while he was under "Vraj Prikrama". He found a huge python lying on the way. Innumerable ants were nibiling at its flesh secing this hid desciples began to talk to themselges. Damodaradasa Harsani asked Sri Vallabha why their mighty creature was under such sael state. Sri Vallabha said : " This python was on its previous birth a 'Mahant' (a religious head) on Brindavan. These unsects wer his desciples. Inticing his ignorant desciples he had grabbed lot of wealth from them. Instead of utilising the money either in the work of divine being or spending it in helping the needy, he had utilised all the wealth onhis personal pleasures. When they saw their preceptor rolling in pleasure they too gave up religious life and followed his ways of pleasing themselves. In the end all of them met their death. In this birth the Guru had been born as a python and the deciples ar insects. Now they are biting him and are asking him : "If you had not the capacity to bring our uplift why had you made as your desciples and sported us. Why had you ensnared our wealth making us fools ?" So any person befor assuming the seat of th Guru should consider whether he had the capacity to sit on this high post. Then charting Veda Mantial he had sprinkled water on the pythan and relieved it from its suffering.

Sri Vallabha once visited Sindh during his voyage. At that time a large portion of thei province was over flwing with a community known as "Mlechas". Due to their contact with these people even Hindu were not able to observe their religion practices with dedication. All appeared to be Muslim in these parts

There were two army officers who came forward to receive Sri Vallabha. One of them was from Madhya Pradesh and follower of Baudha Dharma. The other was a Musalman. Ther was close friendship between the two - one day the officer who is a follower of Baudh Dharma said : "Our religions holds non-violance (Ahimsa) as the most important religion." Then the Muslim officer said proudly : "We never hold violance (himsa) as an act of sin." Both had come to Sri Vallabha to express their relative opinion as correct. They both said : "Kindly find a solution to our problem."

Sri Vallabha stated : "A person who cares for the true happiness of the whole world can understand the real "Swarupa" in form of divine being. In the true spirit of devotion there in n importance as to who is of high caste or any one who is low." He continued : "It is the duty of all living beings not to hurt any one. Hence no religion had ever opposed to the concept of "Ahimsa" or non-violance. When both the officers heard this they were pleased. The "Yavana" officer wanted to tkae his shelter. Immediately Sri Vallabha had taken him as his desciple and renamed "Aryakhan".

Travelling continuously Sri Vallabha at one time reached a village in Punjab called "Yaneswar". There he had one learned Pandit "Ramananda" as his desciple. He stayed in his house for the night. Early next morning Ramananda had woken up his wife and said : "Gather all the dry cow-dung cakes quickly. Soon the Vaishnavas will wake up and use them all nothing will be left for us."

Sri Vallabha had heard the words or Ramananda. He felt very bad at the views of his desciple. After all the Vaishnavas gathere here with me are guest of honour for a day and this person thinks they are thieves and will steal his cow-dung cakes." He became displeased with his behaviour. He called Ramananda at once and admonished and said: "You have abused my Vaishnavas. Hence I am disocuring you. I am leaving this place at once."

Sri Vallabha had two desciples. One was named "Narandas Brahamchari". He used to live in a place called "Mahavan" in Vraj. The other was named "Padma Rawal". He belonged to Ujjain at different times these two devotees had offered hot "Kheer" (a sweet cooked rice preparation.) to their respective Thakurjies as a result the hands and mouth of Thakurjis were burnt. So Thakurji, complained to Sri Vallabha. The latter called his two desciples at once and said : "Do the 'Seva' of Thakurji with great care. Remember our Thakurji is very delicate. He is the darling son of Yasodaji. It due to any of our negligence if he is inconvenienced if is not proper."

Sri Vallabha was performing evenig "Sandhya" at Hanuman Ghat is Kasi at one time. One person called "Rana Vyas" of Godhara was sitting behind a tree with an intention of commiting suicide, because that day he had to face defeat at the hands of his ipponents in the discussions he had over Sastras. That very moment even, without any in... of the intentions of the youth, one sta.... desciple of Sri Vallabha called "Krishnadasa Meghan !" People say that Gangaji is saviour of the falen. If some unfortunate person intends to commit suicide in Ganga what status (Gati) would that person will get after death ?" Sri Vallabha replied : "Gangaji has emerged from the feet of the divine being. That is why a m... touch of her is said to save the sinners. But if somebody jumps into Gangaji and commits suicide he has to face the aganis of "Narka" (hell) for seven generatins. Gangaji will not come forward to save his soul. It will not envn receive his body. Either birds would eat it flesh or fish would finish the body by niling as it. Hence  say that, in whatever compromising circumstance a one might be, a person should not get tired of his life and think of suicide.a few moments before. On listening to your divine speech my eyes were opened." Then he narrated the whole story. Sri Vallabha said with great compassion : Look ! Rana ! The Purusharthas of life  are not competent in themselves to provide the ultimat gaol. Only the grace of divine being can bring the desired results. We call thsi "Arragraha of Goal" or Pusti Marga. A Jiva can offer unslinted 'Seva' to God, taking care of all his comforts. This and love to him. Since your body is meant protect it at all cost. In "Pusti System" discussion on Sastras are there to under Pusti System guides you the imporatant fact of life i.e. to follow the path towards divine being. That is the only cardinal Sutra of life." On listening to his sound advice, RaNa Vyas moulded his life basing on the principles of Sri Vallabha.

He was in Kanauj at one time there lived one great learned Brahmin called Padmanabhadasa. He used to narrate the episode, of the life of divine being in a very wonderful manner. He came to Sri Vallabha and received shelter and became his desciple. Padmanbhadasa asked him : "Now what is my duty ?" Sri Vallabha said : "It is better you know what should not be done. I know it well Sri Bhagavat is a form of his name hence we should not use this 'Granth' a means of living or can not exchange it for gaining any materialistic objects. Hence I do not think it proper to read "Bhagavata Katha" and earn money from it. By doing it one will face the offerce of selling Sri Bhagavata which stands are nect deep in difiiculties your should not contemplate to read is as a wordly occupation for living.

Padmanabhadasa made a resolution there and then "I will not read any more "Kathas" from now onwards." From that time onwards he used to go into jungle, cut wood and sell fuel for a living. He maintained this strict promise till the end of his life.

As said before Sri Vallabha had made his permanent residence in Adel and stayed there. His neighbour was a lady of his own community. She had a very jealous nature she used to hate gratly Sri Vallabha and his Vaishnavas. One Vaishnavas used to go to the river to fill his pitche with water. She used to through a dirty clothe and make his pittch impure. One day, getting disgusted with her behaviour he complained to Sri Vallabha. Sri Vallabha said : "When she will throw the dirty cloth on you, you bring it to me !" So the next day the Vaishnava brought the dirty cloth and gave it to him. Sri Vallabha said: "Wash this cloth properly, make it clean, dry it and make a wick out of it and light it with fire. In this way this cloth will be useful in thw work of god. Then this woman will have a change of heart." Sri Vallabha never encounters any one with bitterness. He always adapts a sweet behaviour towards other, thus brining a change of heart.

He was staying in Adel when a Vaishnava of Kanauj came in a boat, bringin the Swarupa (icon) of Sri Dwarkadhisha. He made a request to Sri Vallabha : "Maharaj ! we have brought the Swarupa of Dwarkadhishji along with the whole assets of Damodaradas Sambharwala to you, as there is no one now in his family left back." Hid eldest son Sri Gopinathji was also present on this ocassion. So he exclaimed : "Lo ! Sri Thakurji has visited along with Laxshmiji." (Lakshmiji stands as a symbol for prosperity and walths.) Then Sri Vallabha said : "Is your mind grabbed with avarice by seeing the wealth ? Remember ! the wealth of Thakurji is "devadrvya" i.e. it belongs to him, not to us. If the minds of any of our descendents will be enticed in the wealth of our Lord, or if any Vaishnava goes down to the level of using Gods properly for his personal gain, be certain he will finally be annihilated. We are only the servants of our Lord. The duty of servant is - do labour, earn by it, and dedicate everything to him. In Lord will never accept anything if  it is obtained by foul means."

At one time Sri Vallabha had forced the loca Kaji of Mathura to remove "Yantra" from the archer of Visram Ghat. The ruler of Delhi Badeshah Sikandar Lod was very much impressed by Sri Vallabha. He had sent his capable artist called "Honahara" to Gokul got one beautiful painting of Sri Vallabha painted by him. This painting was safely protected in the collection of art of Lodi family and thereafter by Moghul dynesty. At one time the king o f Kishnagadh which was situated in Rajasthan - Nagaridasa waged a war against Jahangir and defeated him. As a mark of his victory over Jahangir, he asked for the painting of Sri Vallabha from him. Since then this painting is hanging on the walls of the Mandir in the plalace of Kishangadh.

Sri Vallabha had one desciple. His name was Achyutadasa. He  lived in a village called Hazipur, near Patna in Bihar. This varishnava holds the sandals (Paduka) of Sri Vallabha in his house. He offer Seva to them. When Sri Vallabha had left this world in Kasi, one Vaishnava was unable to bear the grief, so he left Kasi and went to see Achyutdas. He hold him the sad news in details. It was midday. Achyutadas said: "Sri Vallabha stays in the houses of Vasishnava for ever. This evening you can have a darsan of him." At the time of "Uthapana" (it is one of the eight - fold order of the Pusti Margiya Service and falts in the evening) "Bhog" Achyutadasa had drawn the contain a side in the Mandir and the Vaishnava saw Sri Vallabha sitting on the matrers and with pillow behind on which he rested, reading the book of Bhagavata. The Vaishnava was surprised to see Sri Vallabha there. Sri Vallabha said : "I always reside in Vaishnavas homes. So do not grieve about my passage."

We find several such encouraging incidents in the life of Sri Vallabha. We have one book called "84 Vaishnavas Varta". It is a famour work. We get many such inspiring stories about Sri Vallabha in that book. We also get lot of information about him from the books like - Nija Varta, Ghary Varta and "Baithakji Caritras".