2020-06-08
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Of the authorities mentioned above, the works like Sampradaya-Pradipa, Vallabhacharya-Charitra, Charitra Chintamani, Vaishnava-Vartamala, Vallabhakhyana and Gharu-Varta, although they furnish the other important details of the life of the Acharya, are unfortunately silent on the point of the date of Acharyas birth. They cannot, therefore, throw any light on the present problem.
1. The horoscope (cf. Brihatstotra-Saritsagara, p. 143, Gujarati Press Edition, 1927 A.D.. Bombay). Nija-Varta, p. 3, edited by Mr.. Govardhandas Laxmidas, 18!)4, Bombay, and some Kirtanas (cf. Pushtimargiya Padangraha (PP.), Vol. I. pp. 413,439, 444, 446. Edition of 1895.]
The horoscope is as follows:-
संवत् १५३५ शके १४०० वैशाखकृष्णे
१९ रवौ धनिष्ठानक्षत्रे शुभयोगे बवकरणे
एवं पच्चांग श्रीदिगनगतसमस्तरात्रिगतघटी
६१४४ समये वश्चिकलग्ने श्री०भ्रीवल्लभाचार्य प्राकट्यम् ।
- १ सूर्य । २ शनि । ४ मं-गु । ५ राहु ।
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११ शु-चंके | १२ बुध
2. Vallabha-Digvijaya of Yadunathaji, p. 17, 1918, Nathadwar. p H. p. 426.
3. Kallola, Vallabha-Ve!a and Prakatya-Siddhanta.
Kallola and Prakatya-Siddhanta are not published as yet. I have used my mss. which were based on the very old mss. at Baroda and Devagadh Baria. Vallabha-Vela was partly published some years ago in a Sanskrit-Gujarati monthly, now defunct, Vaishnavadharma-pataka, (V.P.)VIII years, p.37..
The other works wonderfully agree at least in one point that the Acharya was born on the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Chaitra which corresponds to the month of Vaishakha according to the convention of the people living in the territory of Vraja round about Mathura in the north. But these authorities differ with regard to the day, some mentioning Sunday, some 2 mentioning Thursday and some others 8 mentioning Saturday. There is also the difference as regards the actual time on the day of Acharya's birth, morning according to some 4, and night according to others.5 As regards the year also the opinions differ. The other works such as Kallola,6 Prakatya-Siddhanta 7 and Vallabha-Veda 8 clearly mention the Mula-Purusha (both Sanskrit and Gujarati), Vallabha-Dig vijaya10 attributed to Yadunathji, the anonymous horoscope, 11 and the Nija-Varta 12; state that the Acharya was born in the Vikrama Samvat 1935 (=1497 A.D.).
4. माधवमास कृष्णपक्ष शुभलग्न उध्तित एकादशी दूसरो यामः
(PP. p. 437)
The author of this kirtana is Manikyacandra.
5. The horoscope and Vallabha-Digvijaya of Yadunathj1. p.7
6. आग्च्छतो लक्ष्मणस्य भार्या पुत्रमसूत सा ।
च पारण्याभिधे देशे भीमरथ्यास्तटे शुभे ।। ४ ॥।
ग्रामे चोडाभिधे हन्त विक्रमार्कस्य भूपते: ।
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राज्यकालान्विते वष निधिदूब्वाणभूमिभि: ।। ५ ।। (१५२६)
वैशाखे मासि बहलपक्षे हरिदिने शनौ ।
सप्तमे मासि मंगल्ये वल्लभाचार्यमी श्वरम् ।। ६ ।।
(151 kallola, [V Taranga)
7. विक्रमार्कसंवच्छर कही देते तेहने धन्य ।
संवत् पन्द्रह ओगण त्रीस वैशाख वदिनो दिन ।। ५६ ।।
सातमे मासे स्वइच्छाए एकादसी शनिवार ।
श्रीपुरुषोत्तमुषरुची प्रगट्या तेणी वार ।। ५१ ।।
(1st Taranga, Mangalya)
8. चोडा गाम नदी भीमरथी आवी उतर्या त्यांहि।
संवत् पन्दरसें ओगण त्रीस भर वैशाख ते माह ।।
कृष्ण पक्ष एकादशी शुभ वार शनि रात मास ।
लोकरीत निरुपाधित प्रकट्या श्रीआचार्य सुखराश ।।
(As printed in V.P. VIII, p. 37)
In Sanskrit,
9. बाणाग्निपच्चेन्दु (१५३५) मिते मासे च माधवे ।
एकादश्यां कृष्णपक्षे प्रादुर्भूतः प्रभु: स्वयम् ।। १८ ।।
as printed on p. 23 of the edition of Vallabhakhyana published by Mr. Trikamadas Chakubhai, Bombay, 1932.
10. अथ सा महिला शरवहनिबारणेन्दु (१५३५) मिते विक्रमशके (p. 7)
11. तत्त्वगुणबाणभुवि (६५३५) माधवासिततरणि प्रथमभगवददिवस प्रकट लछमन सुवन ८०.
P P. pi 4.39.
The remaining lines supply the detailed information about the position of the planets at the time of the birth of the Acharya, and can be favourably compared with the horoscope. That the author of the Kirtana is Dvari kesaji is clear from the mention of the name in the last line,
12 जन्म संवत् १५३५ ब्रज वैशाख वदि १९ ने रविवार (pp.3, 76)
All the biographical works that accord the year 1473 A.D. are written by the contemporaries of Gokulnathaji, the fourth grandson of Vallabhacharya, who flourished in the sixteenth century of the Christian era and who had the unique privilege of hearing the account from Gokulanathaji himself. They were therefore, likely to maintain the tradition correctly and this is clearly borne out by the fact that these three authorities agree even with regard to the day also. All of them mention Saturday. Moreover, these are the earliest works in the whole of the available biographical literature in the, Shuddhadvaita School.
The Nija-Varta (p. 77) however, refers to Vikrama Samvat 1529 as the birth date of the Acharya according to Kalyana Bhatta. the author of Kallola.
The evidence in support-of the year 1479 A.D. is furnished by later writers who were far removed from the Acharya. The earliest authority mentioning the year 1479 A.D. is Mula Purusha, both in Sanskrit and Gujarati which was written by Dvarikesaji who flourished in the early part of the nineteenth century. The Vallabha Digvijaya, otherwise known as Yadunath Digvjjaya, attributed, to Yadunathaji, the sixth grandson of Vallabhacharya, who flourished in the sixteenth century no doubt, appears to be a modern work, not only from the consideration of style but also from the fact that the Mss. of this work are very rare and are found in the place of its publication where the devout followers of the School desired to give to the world an ancient and, therefore, authoritative account of the life of the Acharya. This supposition is further confirmed by the fact that we do not find any reference to this work in the whole literature of the School and this is very strange, if the work giving so many details about the life of the Acharya happens to be the composition of such an old authority like Yadunathaji. It seer as that some modern Scholar of the school wrote the work and passed it off in the name of Yadunathaji simply with a view to giving it the air of antiquity, The horoscope is an anonymous work, but when compared with one Kirtana of Dvaarikesaji it creates an impression that Dvarikesaji himself might have been responsible for it. I think Dvarikesaji, who composed the Kirtana and the horoscope also. is identical with Dvarikesaji the author of Mula-Purusha. Moreover, competent astronomers 13 have shown that the horoscope, as it stands, is impossible both in 1473 A.D. and 1479 A.D. and is, therefore, incorrect.
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The Nija-Varta, mentioning 1479 A.D., and also referring to 1473 A.D., is traditionally attributed to Gokulanathaji, the fourth grandson of Vallabhacharya. The work seems to have gone through many editions and revisions at the hand of many people and cannot, therefore, be accepted as representing faithfully the views of Gokulanathaji if at all he was concerned with it. Moreover, it is improbable that Gokulanathaji should mention the year 1476 A.D. when his contemporaries and disciples make a clear mention of 1473 A.D. The work, in short, is full of interpolations and shows the lack of historical sense.
13. I consulted the best astronomers in Baroda on this point. Mr. N. N. Gandhi, M.A.. LL. B., also, came to the same conclusion some years ago. Of. Pushti-Bhakti-Sudha VI year:-No.2, pp. 41-54, No.10, pp. 208-210. No. 11, pp. 243-251.
The Kirtana (=song) literature of the School is fairly extensive and shows the mark of poetic beauty. There are about hundred Kirtanas 14 composed in honour of the Acharya and these are sung in modern times when the birth-date or the Acharya is nearing. We find a reference to the birth-day of the Acharya in about twenty-one Kirtanas l6, all of which unanimously accept the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Chaitra (= Vaisakha according to Vraja convention), Sixteen Kirtanas16 mention only the eleventh day of the dark half or Chaitra without referring to the year or the day, three 17 add Sunday, one adds 18 Tuesday and another 18 adds Sunday, the year 1479 A.D. (=1535 V.S.) and all the planets in several houses in the horoscope. This last Kirtana is composed by Dvarikesaji and supplies all the information that we get from the horoscope. Thus there is agreement on the eleventh day of the dark-half of the month or Chaitra, whole there are two opinions as regards the actual day viz, Sunday and Thursday. There is only one Kirtana of Dvarikesaji which mentions the year 1479 A.D. over and above the other details.
A comparison or the above data will show that the evidence ill support of the year 1473. A.D. is earlier and strong and can easily outweigh the evidence in support or 1479 A.D. which is decidedly later and weak. Moreover, the year 1413 A.D. is more suitable to the achievements of Acharya in places like Vijayanagara and Kashi when he is expected to be grown-up man showing maturity of thought which is absolutely necessary for his wonderful success. It is, therefore, reasonable to suppose that out of the two dates, the year 1473 A.D., stands the chance or being accepted as the correct date of the Acharya's birth.
14. All these are found in Vol. I.
15. P. P. pp. 413,514,417,418,421,426, 427,428, 429, 433. 436, 437, 438, 439, 444, 446, 450.
16. p P. pp. 414, 417, 418, 421, 427 -4:39, 443. 436-438, 449, 450.
17. p P. pp. 413.444,446.
18. PP. p. 426.
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