अणुभाष्य (महाप्रभु वल्लभाचार्य - शुद्धाद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र महाभाष्य प्रकाश टीका सहित)

S'rī Vitthales'vara and Aṇu Bhāshya.
S'rī Vitthales'vara Dīkshita, the author of the last Adhyāya and a half
of the Aṇu Bhāshya was the second son of S'rī Vallabhāchārya. He was
born at Charaṇāta near Allahabad on the 9th day of the dark half of
Mārgas'īrsha, 1572, Saṁvat. Vallabhāchārya in his later life adopted
Adel as his permanent residence, and therefore Vitthales'vara passed
his childhood there. When Vallabhāchārya took up Tridaṇḍa-Sannyāsa
in 1587, Vitthales'vara was a boy, fifteen years old. His elder brother
S'rī Gopīnātha was senior to him by five years. His Upanayana ceremony
was performed by Vallabhāchārya, but his early education seems to
have been of a desultory character. A Gāthā current in Sampradāya
states that 'Vitthales'vara in his childhood was given to playfulness.
He did not seem to realise the heavy responsibility that lay on his
shoulders, so Dāmodaradāsa, the chief among Vaishṇavas, is said to have
remonstrated with young Vitthales'vara and persuaded him to study, and
thus be fit to bear the responsibility of the Sampradāya as the worthy son of a
worthy father. There is no doubt that Dāmodaradāsa had his share in turning
'Vitthales'vara ffom worldly playfulness to the meditation of Krishṇa-Leelā.
Chāchā Harivaṁs'ajī was another personality who influenced Vitthales'vara
in the successful discharge of his duties as Āchārya. Chāchā Harivaṁ-
s'ajī's proselytizing tendencies were great. It was he who generally visited
a place in advance and prepared it for the acceptance of Vitthales'vara's
teachings. It is not known from whom Vitthales'vara got direct help in
the profound learning which is manifest in his works which are available
now. A Gāthā says that Vitthales'vara was sent by Vallabhāchārya to
Mādhava Sarasvatī for his studies, but instead of studying anything at his
place, he devoted his time to reading S'rīmad Bhāgavata. Whatever may
be the truth in the above Gāthā, it is an undisputed fact that like his father,
Vitthales'vara had a very great hold on and absorbing attachment to S'rīmad
Bhāgavata. After Vallabhāchārya passed away in 1587, Gopīnātha and
Vitthales'vara lived together at Adel. Except perhaps two small works
named Sādhanadīpaka and Sevāpaddhati, we are not aware of any important
work of S'rī Gopīnātha, and so we have not got materials to decide how far
Vitthales'vara was indebted to his elder brother S'rī Gopīnātha, for his
future literary activities. S'rī Gopīnātha and his son Purushottama seem
to have passed away between 1590 and 1600. After this, Vitthales'vara
became the recognised representative of his father, and thereafter he seems
to have planned various tours, and thought of writing works for the
propagation of the Sampradāya.
Unlike S'aṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva, Chaitanya, and a host of others,
Vallabhāchārya preferred to follow the Aupanishada traditions, and like
Yājnyavalkya and others, became a Grihastha Āchārya. After him, his