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Vallabha, popularly known as Gokulanātha, was an Indian religious figure of the Puṣṭimārga sect of Vaishnavism. Gokulanātha was the fourth son of Viṭṭhalanātha, and was the founder of the fourth house of the Puṣṭimārga. He wrote several theological works in Sanskrit, and is considered the progenitor of the sampradāya's Vārta tradition in the vernacular Braj Bhasha language.[1]
Gokulanātha was born in 1551 A.D. in the village of Adel, the fourth son of Viṭṭhalanātha, head of the Puṣṭimārga sampradāya. Viṭṭhalanātha's father Vallabha had founded the sampradāya. At the age of sixteen Gokulanātha married a eight-year-old girl named Pārvatī. Gokulanātha had six children, the last three of which were boys: Gopāla, Viṭṭhalarāya, and Vrajaratana, of which only Viṭṭhalarāya had any male issue. Viṭṭhalanātha, before his death, distributed seven deities or svarūpas of Kr̥ṣṇa amongst his sons, of which Gokulanātha recieved the deity Gokulanāṭha, which had previously been worshiped by the family of Vallabha's wife. After their father's death, Gokulanātha's eldest brother Giridhara ordered the splitting of the family's residences. Gokulanātha had live separately, and took custody of his youngest brother Ghanaśyāma and nephew Kalyāṇarāya (son of Govindarāya). Gokulanātha once made a journey to Gujarat where he engaged in preaching and conversion at several sites.[2][3]
According to sectarian sources, Gokulanātha defended the right of members of the Puṣṭimārga to wear their sectarian tilakas and tulasīmālās from a Shaiva-Tantric ascetic named Jadrup or Cidrūpa who exerted great influence over the emperor Jahangir. This incident is considered to be of doubtful historicity by modern scholars.[4][5]
Gokulanātha was also involved in the dispute between his nephews Dvārakeśa (son of Bālakr̥ṣṇa) and Madhūsūdana (son of Yadunātha) over the deity Bālakr̥ṣṇa. Bālakr̥ṣṇa's service had been entrusted to Yadunātha by Viṭṭhalanāṭha, however the deity was worshiped with Dvārakānātha jointly between Yadunātha and his elder brother Bālakr̥ṣṇa. Yadunātha's son Madhūsūdana later wished to worship the deity separately, however Dvārakeśa refused to give Bālakr̥ṣṇa away. Gokulanātha acknowledged Madhūsūdana's right to worship the deity separately, but within a year Madhūsūdana wanted to give Bālakr̥ṣṇa back to Dvārakeśa. Gokulanātha then had the cousins sign a contract resulting in Dvārakeśa's custody of Bālakr̥ṣṇa and Madhūsūdana's of an alternate idol.[6][7]
Gokulanātha initiated his grandnephew Harirāya (son of Kalyāṇarāya) into the Puṣṭimārga sect.[8][9]
Gokulanātha wrote several works in Sanskrit, however lists of his work tend to be incomplete and incorrect. Among his original works include Tilakanirṇaya, Vijñāpti, and Śrīvallabhācārya Bhaktānāṁ Nāmāvalī. He also wrote commentaries on the works of Vallabha and Viṭṭhalanātha, mantras, and other subjects.
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^Entwistle 1987, p. 178 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFEntwistle1987 (help): "Gokulnath is also the reputed author of the stories (vārtā) dealing with the disciples of Vallabha and Vitthalnath. He may well have been the author of some of them, especially those dealing with the disciples of Vallabha, but it seems more likely that they were collected, expanded, and provided with a commentary by Hariray, a grandson of the second son of Vitthalnath."
^Gandhi, R.H. Śrī Gokulanāthajī's Contribution to Śuddhādvaita Vedānta (PhD thesis). M.S. University of Baroda.
^Shah, R.G. (2005). Vallabha Cult and Śrī Harirāyajī (Contributions of Śrī Harirāyajī to Vallabha School). Pratibha Prakashan. p. 51.
^Gandi 1964, p. 68-98. sfn error: no target: CITEREFGandi1964 (help)
^Entwistel, A.W. (1987). Braj: Center of Krishna Pilgrimage. Egbert Forsten. p. 178.
^Entwistle 1987, p. 178 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFEntwistle1987 (help)
^Gandhi 1964, p. 120 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFGandhi1964 (help)
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