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

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elder son-too, became a Grihastha Āchārya. S'rī Gopīnātha got Vitthales'vra
married to S'rī Rukmiṇī, a daughter of Vis'vanātha Bhatta and Bhawānī of
his own caste. The relations of the two brothers were of a very cordial
nature. A letter* addressed by Vitthales'vara to his elder brother reveals
the high regard which he had for him.
When Gopīnātha and his son Purushottama passed away, Vitthale-
s'vara seems to have begun his tours. His first visit was from Adel to
Gujarāt in the year 1600, and his second visit to Gujarāt was also from Adel
in 1613. In Gujarāt his activities were chiefly confined to Ahmedabad,
Cambay and Godhra. In Godhra, one Nāgajī Bhatta was initiated in the
Sampradāya by him. This Nāgajī Bhatta was, it is said, a state-officer, and
the name Pancha Mahals owes its origin to his activities. He was a
Sāthodrā Brahmin. Mr. Kes'havalāl Harshadraya Dhruva, the veteran
Gujarātī scholar, is said to be a descendant of this Nāgajī Bhatta. When-
ever Vitthales'vara visited Gujarāt, Nāgajī Bhatta always took advantage of
his company. A few of the original letters addressed by Vitthales'vara to
Nāgaji Bhatta are preserved even to this day at Nathadwara in Mewar.
Nāgajī Bhatta seems to have been a very intelligent follower. Various
questions seem to have been put by him to Vitthales'vara. He seems to
have been a very active agent in spreading the doctrines of Vallabhāchārya
in his country. After having read Subodhinī, Nibandha etc., he wanted to
know as to what was the kernel of Vallabhāchārya's teachings. In answer
to this query, Vitthales'vara sent to him a beautiful couplet which sum-
marises the doctrine in the choicest words. It runs as follows:—
श्रीवल्लभाचार्यमते फलं तच्चात्मसमर्पणमव्यभिचारिहेतुः ।
प्रेमैव तच्चित्तवचोधनक्रियान्योन्योपयोगोऽखिलसाधनानाम् ॥
According to the view of Vallabhāchārya, भगवत्प्राप्य is the फल, and the
unfailing remedy for it is love for Him, while all other Sādhanas are useful in
generating this love. Nāgajī Bhatta remained in company of Vitthales'vara
not only in Gujarāt, but he often visited Adel to pay his respects to him.
He is said also to have visited the shrine of S'rī Nāthajī-Govardhanadhara-
at Jatīpura on the Govardhana Hill, and stayed there for a couple of months.
Thus it would seem that Nāgajī Bhatta was familiar both with the practice
and theory of the Sampradāya, and he was instrumental in the rapid spread
of the Sampradāya from Samvat 1600 onwards in Gujarāt.
Another personality who helped in the spread of Sampradāya was
*The letter runs as follows:—
स्वस्ति श्रीमन्महेन्द्रभ्रातृचरणकमलेषु यवीयसो विठ्ठलस्य प्रणामकोदिनिवेदनमेवं परम्परतः । समिह, भगवत्प्रसादात्थे ।
अहं भगवदाज्ञया रासोत्सवपर्यन्तं श्रीगोवर्धनवरधरचरणारविन्दसंनिकटे स्थितोऽस्मि । हरिद्वारे प्रसादा न वाट्येति न
मन्तव्यम् । अत्र ममास्वास्थ्यं बहु जातमासीत् । उपवासदशकं कृतम् । अधुना भगवत्कृपयया च नैरुज्यं जातमस्ति । कापि
चिन्ता न कार्या । अद्या-अम्बा-अष्टादशपर्वसु गन्तव्यः । अद्या यथा दुःखं न करोति ममास्वास्थ्यं श्रुत्वा तादृक् कर्तव्यम् ।
अत्रापि कापि चिन्ता न कार्या मम, अश्वादि सर्वत्र । यादवेन्द्रपुरीषु महात्मनेषु दीक्षितेषु हरिहरवाग्भटायण्णूआदिषु
हास्यकथाः । ...भिक्षाप्रसादिप्रसादिभिः । अस्मत्संबन्धिनाम्नां मन्तव्यः ।
2002