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

of the child and then putting the Tulsikanthi on his neck. The performance of the second initiation is also generally through a descendant of Vallabhacharya. In both the initiations, age is not to be considered. It is an accepted belief in the Sampradaya that Vallabhacharya alone is the आचार्य, and all his descendants, howso- ever illustrious, have never claimed anything further than being recognized as गुरुद्वार. Thus the initiation is believed to be done by Vallabhacharya himself through the instrumentality of his agnate descendants. The dedication is to Lord Krishna, and not to Acharya as will be presently shown. It is monstrous to substitute the word Acharya in place of Krishna and then to charge Vallabhacharya that he preached immorality. It would be a cruel injustice to one of the greatest saints and philosophers of India. The vow repeated at the time of the आत्मनिवेदन ceremony is this:—सहस्रपरिवत्सरमितकालजातकृष्णवियोगजनिततापक्लेशामन्दतिरोभावोऽहं भगवते कृष्णाय देहेन्द्रिय- प्राणाम्तःकरणानि तद्धर्मांश्च दारागारपुत्राप्तवित्तेहापराणि आत्मना सह समर्पयामि, दासोऽहम्, कृष्ण तवास्मि। Above we have related the current practice and belief in the Sampradaya, but we must admit that in the known writings of Vallabhacharya it is nowhere mentioned that this initiation should take place only through him or his descendants. Valla- bhacharya does not seem to insist that any particular person should initiate you. Of course it goes without saying that the person who initiates and the person initiated must be spiritually exalted. In his Nibandha, while discussing the question as to who can be a Guru, he observes as follows:—'कृष्णसेवापरं वीक्ष्य दम्भादिरहितं नरम् । श्रीभागवततत्त्वज्ञं भजेत् जिज्ञासुरादरात् । तदभावे स्वयं वापि मूर्ति कृत्वा हरेः क्वचित् । परिचर्यां सदा कुर्यात् तद्रूपं तत्र च स्थितम् ।'. His commentator here observes as follows:—'कलेर्बलिष्ठत्वेनाग्रिमेषु गुरुलक्षणा- भावमालोच्य स्वस्मिन्नेवैतन्मार्गीयगुरुत्वं नियच्छन्त आहुः ।' Putting together these two statements, we can easily understand how the idea of S'rimadacharya's presence was always considered necessary at the time of initiation. Vallabha's descendants even to this day initiate their pupils not in their own name and responsibility, but in the name and responsibility of S'ri Vallabha. This initiation is referred to as ब्रह्मसंबन्ध by Vallabhacharya in the present work. The necessary qualification of the initiated is भगवत्कृपा, which can be inferred from one's inclination towards the Bhagvan-Marga. Thus the कृपायुक्त soul has to dedicate his everything to Lord Krishna through Srimadacharya, and proclaim himself as the दास of Krishna. This is what is known as ब्रह्मसंबन्ध, and it is in this sense interpreted by all the commentators here. Gokulanathaji says:— ब्रह्मसंबन्धकरणं नाम एतन्मार्गीयाचार्यद्वारा भगवन्निवेदनम् ।

१. We have published the Gadya after a considerable hesitation. We know that some Vaishnavas will feel annoyed by this act of ours. But we have, after long deliberation, come to the conclusion that the mission of S'ri Vallabhacharya would be fulfilled better by the publication of the same by ourselves in correct form, rather than allow the calumniators of the Sampradaya to publish the same in a distorted form and thereby heap mischievous allegations on his fair name. However, for those who cannot see eye to eye with us on this question, we can do no more than give a reply in the words of Sri Purushottamji, the greatest scholar of the Sampradaya:—यद्यपि मदुक्तौ मार्गरहस्यप्रकाशनापराध आयाति, तथापि प्रकाशनस्यान्यैरेव कृतत्वेन तदर्थसंदेहवारणस्यैव मत्कृतितया स्वोत्कर्षप्रकाशनाथंत्वाभावाद् भगवान् श्रीमदाचार्यचरणाश्च मदपराधं क्षमन्त्विति विज्ञापयामीति दिक् । सि. र. टीका. पृ. ३७. The followers of Gokulanathji repeat श्रीगोपीजन- वल्लभाय after the word कृष्णाय. Some repeat देहप्राणेन्द्रिय etc. instead of देहेन्द्रिय etc. Some repeat वित्तं इह पराणि instead of वित्तेहापराणि. Substantially this is the correct reading.