Sri Vallabhacharya - Pushti Darshan

The School of Vallabhacarya 23
emphatically recommends the seva of Sri Nathji and this constitutes his originality. He is not indebted to
any of his predecessors in his teaching of the Pustimarga, and the belief that Vallabhacarya simply carried
on the traditions of one Visnu Svamin is therefore untenable. 15
A note of Warning
The Acarya, when he placed before the world the conception of Pusti as illustrated ill the rasa lila
anticipated certain difficulties owing to misunderstanding and its evil consequences, and he therefore
frequently sounded a note of warning. He tells us that the episode of the gopis and the Lord is both real and
allegorical. If it is taken to the real, it must be clearly borne in mind that there is no tinge of sensualism in the
rasa Iila, even though its description in the Bhagavata appears to be more or less worldly. Moreover, he
who listens with devotion to this account of the gopis and the Lord becomes free from all the pangs of the
heart and enjoys bliss. Some of the verses written by Vallabha in this connection deserve careful study. If
one is disposed to interpret the rasa lila as allegorical. one can say with him that the gopis represent the
Srutis, and when they are said to enjoy the company of the Lord it simply means that the Srutis teach only
one thing and that is the Lord. The Acarya has considered this most important question from all points of
view and has asked his followers not to imitate the Lord, but to serve Him and hear the account of His
doings, may, when he was on the point of leaving this world, standing on the Ganga near the Hanuman
Ghat in Kasi, he gave a massage to his sons and followers in words that should be written in letters of gold.
He said, 'My dear followers, you should always serve the Lord to the best of your ability; you should not look
upon Lord Krisna as an ordinary worldly master; once you become His, He will
15. G. H. Bhatt. "Visnu swami and Vallabhacarya Proceedings of the Seventh All-India Oriental
Conference, pp. 449. 465; Proceedings of the Eighth All-India Oriental Conference. pp.322-323.