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.