Vallabhacharya Biography Indian Philosopher

Name: Vallabhacharya also known as Vallabha

Born: 27 April 1479, Champaran

Religion: Hinduism

Founder of: Pushtimarg; Shuddhadvaita

Books: Collected Works of Shri Vallabhacharya

Children: Gopinath and Vitthalnath

Siblings: Ramchandra Bhatt

Philosophy: Shuddhadvaita, Pushtimarg

Died: 26 June 1531 (Aged 52) Varanasi

Vallabhacharya (1479 - 1531), the exponent of the Shuddhadvaita (Pure non-dualism) philosophy, was an eminent Hindu philosopher and a luminary spiritual figure of medieval India. He was born in 1479 AD at Champaranya in Bihar to a Brahman family of South India. Lakshmana Bhatta and Illamagaru were his parents. Being blessed with a sharp and intellectual mind, he attained profound knowledge of the Vedas, the six systems of ancient Indian philosophy, other scriptures of Hindu culture and life history and teachings of great Hindu saints like Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanuja. Vallabhacharya emerged victorious in a religious and philosophical debate in the royal court of Vijayanagar King Krishna Deva Raya. The king accorded him the Kanakabhishekam (honour with gold) for his splendid victory. After visiting various parts of India like Mathura, Vrindavan, he finally settled down in Banaras (now Varanasi).

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Vallabhacharya started propagating his teachings and philosophical ideas in Banaras. He was of the opinion that there was no distinction between Brahma and the individual soul. Total dedication to Brahma and purity of ideas can make a soul free from all kinds of worldly bondages. He accepted worldly pleasures and petty desires as the major hindrances between Brahma and the human soul. He wrote many books to explain the philosophy of Shuddhadvaita. He died in 1531 AD.

● Vallabhacharya popularized the worship of Lord Krishna in the form of Srinathji of Govardhan hills.
● He penned ‘Subodhini’ and ‘Siddhant Rahasya’, the great literary and philosophical treatises of that time.
● He was contemporary of Sultan Sikandar Lodi and Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi and king Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagar.
● Vallabhacharya along with his eight poet disciples enriched the Braj language with their religious hymns and songs soaked in the devotion and bhakti of Lord Krishna. These eight poets were collectively called Vallabha’s Ashta Sakhas (Eight pals of Vallabha).