षोडश ग्रन्थाः (महाप्रभु वल्लभाचार्य - पुष्टिमार्ग सिद्धान्त एवं सान्वय हिन्दी व्याख्या)

against the attacks of S'ānkaras. At this juncture Vallabha seems to have baffled all by his great learning and powerful arguments. We see no reason to doubt this fact. The author of a rcently discovered work Vyāsa-Yoga-Charitam, from Vyāsa Raya Matha, does chronicle the fact that Vallabhacharya was honoured by the king Krishṇadeva Raya under the presidentship of the then famous Mādhva Swami Vyasa Tirtha. Vallabha's position was peculiar. He accepted Adwaita pure and simple without the interference of the Mayavada of S'ankara; hence all the attacks advanced by Mādhvas and others against Advaita lost their force as against him. His acceptance of ‘अद्वैतपूर्वकभक्ति’ disarmed the opposition of both Vaishṇavas and S'ānkaras. The position taken up by Vallabha was not altogether singular. We believe that Narayana Bhatta, the author of the famous drama Veṇisanhara, was the follower of a system of Philosophy which combined in itself the Pure Adwaita of the Upanishads and the Bhakti Mārga. Whatever that may be, it is certain that Vallabha made a very great impression on king Krishnadeva, Vyasa-Tirtha and others who were present there. In consequence of this session, the king performed a 'Kanakābhisheka' with hundred Maunds of Gold. It is said that Vallabha did not accept this gold and began to commence his travels. This abstinence on the part of Vallabha added to the admiration of all those present for him. Vyāsa Tirtha, the Madhva, actually requested him to be the head-priest of his matha after him. Vyasa-Tirtha with king Krishna-deva again approached Vallabha and presented him with a good many valuables. From these presents Vallabha is said to have prepared a gold Mekhala set with diamonds, rubies etc., and presented the same to S'ri Vitthala in the Vitthala Swami Temple at Vijaya-Nagara. Ultimately, it appears, Vallabha could not conscientiously accept the offer of Vyasa-Tirtha, but from this time Vallabha came to be regarded as a great Acharya. Before this, he seems to have met with great opposition from the Mayavadi Pandits of Benares. In order to silence them for ever, Vallabha wrote out a pamphlet in mixed verse and prose and affixed the same to the doors of Kās'hi Vis'vanātha, with a challenge to Benares Pandits to refute the same, if they could. One Upendra was the leader of the opposition. It seems this discussion ended into threats of personal violence, as a consequence of which Vallabha left Benares and moved over to Adel on the opposite bank of the Ganges. This work seems to have created a great stir in the world of Scholars then living. One Ayyanna Dikshita actually mentions it by name in his Vyasa-Tatparya-Nirṇaya. Ayyanna's seems to be a veiled attempt