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

First Yatra of Bharat

Lakshman Bhatji had a deep knowledge of astrology. He could given that his life is coming to an end. He had entirusted the affairs of his property to his brother and the elder son. He had advised his younger son Sri Vallabha to occupy the seat of an Acharya and   propagate the path of devotion. In the year in 1488 A.D. (S.Y. 1545) he had taken the shelter & Hari in Tirupati.

After his father's death at the render age of elevan, Sri Vallabha had decided to make apilisrimage of the country on foot. He had pleaded with his mother, uncle and elder brother and obtained their consent. He had taken four learned scholars of his father's acqriatintance with him. He had taken a vow prior to launching on his journey that he would not wear any .... cloth in his life. He used to wear only a white dhoti and an upperna cloth to cover his .... . He had also taken another decision not to put on any foot wear on his feet. He always walked only with open feet. He used to carry the basket containing his family deity on his head wherever he went. Wherever is possible he used to put his camp on the edge of any water resource and stay under near a tree. It was his practive to prepare food wish his own hands, ofter is first to Sri Thakurji and then eat. When they stopped in any pilgri... centre he used to  recete Bhagavata for the benefit of listeners. He also used to get engaged in discussions on Sastras with the level pandits. He was so completing in his explanations that ever shiboon pandit's would be concernced of his contentions on his doctrire of "Brahma Vada." If the same line he used to re... the contentious of "Maya Vada." He used to initiate those who liked to take his sheller into "Asta Akshara Mantra" and convert them into a Vaishnava.

Victory of 'Brahmvaad' against Mayavaad

He first went to his birth place Champaranya after leaving Kasi. He stayed in this place for one month. His first "Bhagavata Parayana" took at this place. (A Parayana is a process of reading and explaining on Purana for a considerable time. It may be for seven days or one  fort night or a month etc.) From these he moved towards Jagannatha Puri. In the way, when he was passing through the city of "Wardha" one young man had met him. This young man was a born recluse. His father was a rich businessman. His name was Damodardara Harsani. He had left his family behind and come to take the sheller of Sri Vallabha. He became a life ling companion to Vallabha.

JAGANNATHA PURI :

Shree Vallabh at Jagannathpuri, showing the King, the proof of Shree krishna being the supreme from Shree Jaganaathji

Now Sri Vallabha arrived as Jaagannatha Puri. It was the  eleventh day of the fort night, known as "Ekadasi." It was his practce to not to east on this day and stay the whole day on water alone. In the morning be went into the temple of Jagannatha the presiding daily of the place, to have a "darsan" of the Lord there on Brahmin had placed the "Prasada" of Jagannatha in Vallbha's palm. Lest the "Prasada" be left aride thus disregarding the sanetity if the "Prasada" he entered the "Mandapa" or the court yard facing the idol of Jagannatha. He stood in the court with the "Prasada" held in his right palm, like the  auspicious period of "Baras" entered the ... the next day morning, prairing the inatities of the deity in a continuous flow, the whole day of Ekadusi. Many hundreds of devotee's sleping thid determination of a young boy were very much impuressed by this upholding a religious sentiment. Every learned man present there fect that Sri Suka Deva himself had come in person, standing in one place Sri Vallabha sang in praise of God for over twenty four hours. It is alleged that the signs of his fingers of his right hand can be seen even to-day on the nearby wall where he stood resting a hand to steady himself as if even the stone walls melted like butter as he praised the qualities of the deity.

At the period the ruler of the place was one Gajapati Purushottam Raya. He was learned ruler and a pandt. The scholars of those days were invited in his court to discuss freely on religious subjects. As such there was some contraversy among the discussing scholars at this particular juncture. In order to cleat the contiaversies the ruler had called a convention in the court of Jagannathji Mandir. Vallabha joined the discussion as he was present in the place. There was lot of hot exchange of opinions. But none could concur on any single view. The ruler had place four points before the august gathering: .

Each pandit present gave a different opinion Sri Vallabha said clearly : "The chief 'Deva' is Sri Krishna; the chief 'Grantha' is Gita; the chief Mantra is the name of Sri Krihna." Agains all could not concur on this point. The Sri Vallabha said : "Let us place the four questions before to deity. Let him give his answer. It should be agreeable to      all :" All agreed so the ruler ordered to place a plain paper, a pen and a pot of ink before the idol. The doors of the Mandir were closed. When opened they found written on the papaer by Jagannathji what was been already mentioned by Vallabha. The ruler and the pandits accepted this verdict and offered "garland of sucess" to Sri Vallabha as a mark of victory.

Form Puri Sri Vallabha returned to Kasi once. Moving out again from Kasi he went first to Prayaga and then reached Ujjain. In Unnain he made his camp near Sandipani Rushi's "ashram" - harritage. In this secluded place there was not even a single tree. There was a small tank called "Krishna Kund." He bathed in this "Kund" and performed "Sandhya Vandan" - a daily obiations on its bank. At that time a "Peepal leave" came floating in the air. He took the leave with his hands and put it in the ground and pured water over it. Soon after an astonishing incident had taken place. At the place where the peepal leave was put in the ground, a huge peepal tree had emerged from the ground and spread in all direction with thick branches and leaves. Silting underneath this shadowing tree Sri Vallabha read Sri Bhagavata for the benefit of local people.

When the pandtis of Ujjain came to know about this astonishing incident they came to this place to discuss with him on the doctriner of Maya Vada. In order to put this scholar to embarassmend the pandits of Ujjain started to part different questions, all at one time and incisted to give answer at once. Seeing this Sri Vallabha has assurned as many forms as the questioners were and began to claear theirs doughts simultaneously. All the pandits were defeared bu him thus, they had relturned to Ujjain ashamed.

From Ujjain Sri Vallabha went to Orcha in Madhya Pradesh. The capital of Orcha State was in Gadha Kundar. One Rajput king Malakhan Sing was ruling the place. At that time one pandit of Sankara Mata has his upper had in that place. He used to keep a pot with him. Through his occupy power he used to invite Godders Saraswati and made hr decide the disputes in this favour. Hence people used to call him "Ghata Sarawati." Wsing the means of cheating he used to defeat sound pandits

Sri Vallabha faced this Ghata Sarswati in a debate in the court of the ruler of Orcha. But Saraswati turned round in Vallabha's side and gave her decisions in favour of Sri Vallabha. Thus Ghata Saraswati had to face defeat. The whole court was astoneshed by this victory. Even the king was much impressed by the young Vallabha. He performed a  ceremony called "Kanakabhiseka" of Vallabha to celebrate his victory over this notorious occulist. In those day bestouring "Kanakabhisek" to vctorious pandit was considered to be the highest honour. Thousands of scholar present on this occasion conferred on Vallabh the ... of an "Acharya." Now onwards he was addressed as Sri Vallabhcharya.

From here he crossed the Vindhy's chala mountains and entered his country - Andhara Pradesh. He took his mother to the Mandir of Bataji to give her a dershan to his uncle's place in Vijayanagar. Moving further northwards he came to Mathura. Here the Chaubas surrounded him and complained : "The Suba here (officer) in a Muslim with the counivance of some Fakirs he had fixed an "Yantra" (Mystic device) on the archer of Vishram Ghat. When any Hindu passes underneath it he would drop the tradidtional Hindu pigtail and a beard of the type Muslims wear would sprint on his chain.

In this way he was converting Hindus into Muslims in an incdirec manner. We are not able to have any bath in Jamunaji for six months. "Sri Vallabha" tried to make the suva understand the situation. But he was dadment. He then called his desciples and told them : "Take this "Yantra" to Delhi and tie it on top of the main entrance." Soon after when the Muslims passed underneath the gate their bread disappeared and instead a "Choti" like that of Hindus keep appeared on thir bare pate. When the ruler of Delhi "Sikandar Lodhi" came to know about this incident he commanded the Mathura "Suba" to remove his his yantra.
          In this manner Sri Vallabh had proteected the Hindus and their religious be...

Thereafter the he took a "Parikrama" of Vraj. (Prikrama is an act of going round holy places.) When he was in Bhaulavan (a small forest area in Vraj) the Vraja varies of the palce came to him and complained : "Sir ! the Muslim leader of the place does not allow us to worship the statue of "Bhaula Cow." He says I will allow you the worship if your cow ealigrars." So Sri Vallabha sent for the Muslim Saradr. In his presence hearrced the villagers to put a bundle of grass on the side of the tail of the statue. The statue came to life, turned towards its tail and began to eat grass. The surprised Muslim Sardar assced forgivenessof Vallabha and allowed the villager to worship the "Statue."

In those day all of Vraj were full of thorns, pebbler and thistle. The paths were also full of pot holes and mole hills. So Sri Vallabha with the help of Vrajvasies and his desciples cleared the ways of thorns and stones and made the place look beautiful. Now people could walk on these roads with ease and comfort even bare footed. In various place he had planted trees. He completed the rounds of Vraj in 6 months and returned to Brindavan where he stayed for further 6 months and conducted 30 "Bhagavata Parayans" at this place, at the end of which the local pandits had honoured him greatly.

From here he moved to Gokul. It was the 3rd day of bright half of Srvana month, S.Y. 1549 : He was just 14 years at that time. At that time this place was surrounded with deep jungle. Nothing remained of the movements of ancient Gokul. He made his camp on the bank of Sri Yamunaji. The presiding deity Sri Yamunaji herself appeared before him and said : "This is known as "Govinda Ghat." You make your residence here." In seeing 'her' he burst into singing the praiser of Sri Yamunaji which is known as "Sri Yamunastakam." Thereafter he conducted a "Bhagavata Parayana" on its banks.

It was the bright half of the month and the day was eleventh (Ekadasi) of Sravans. It was night time. He was meditating. He thought: "The lord has sent me for the emarcipation of those who had an origin from 'Goloka' on this planet. But these people are immersed in numerous flaws. Where as our Lord is without blemishes. How can there be any relationship between these people and God ?" He was not able to find a solution in his mind. There the divine being appeared before him. He initiated him with a particular Mantra and then commanded : "When you preach this Mantra and initate aperson all his flows will be removed by me. I will accept that person when he gets a permanent attachment with me I will uplift his soul." The divine being is also known as "Brahman." Since a relationship is created with "Brahman" this Mantra is called "Brahma Sambandha Mantra." This mantra was composed in "Gadya" or prose. It contains 8th letters. It was also known as "Gadya Mantra." The last five letters are famous as "Pancha Akshara Mantra." It is also known as "Nivedana Mantra." Sri Vallabh had ... garland of cotton thread, dryed in "Kesar" (Saffron) having 360  rounds of cotton string and garlanded the divind beeing with it. He offered "misree" - Sugar crystals - and praised him with newly composed "Stotras" called "Mathurastakam".

The next day he called his dear desciple Damodardas Harsani and he was the lucky, first recipient of the "Brahma Sambandha Mantra." At this period he composed a work and gave the title "Sidhnta Rahasya" (the secret of my doctrine) in which he had explained of the secret of Brahma Sambandha Mantra. In this way on this auspicious day the foundation stone was laid to "Pusti Marga."

Then he congregated the residents of the heigh bouring places like "Maharas" etc. and rehabilatated the their deserted Gokul. From here he once again reached Brindavan. There he started to compose the commentry on the "holy Bhagavata", which was so dear to his heart. This commentray had become famous as "Subodhini Tika." The work of writing his teaching was undertaken by his author able desciple called "Madhav Bhat Kasmiri."

From here they all returned to Gujarat. Passing through Gujarat he reached "Narayana Srovara." From there he moved to Sundha. Their Himachala Pradesh completing his yatra of Himalayas he turned towards "Kanauj" town which is situated in Uttara Pradesh. From here he went to Prayag and finally he returned to Kasi.

In this way his to first Bharat Yatra was completed in seven years. Starting in 1488 and ending in 1495 A.D. or S.Y. 1545 to 1552.