Pushtimarga Sampradaya

Shrinathji (at center) with Ashtasakhis
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Vaishnavism
Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
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The Puṣṭimārga, also known as Pushtimarg (Path of Nourishing or Flourishing) or Vallabha Sampradāya, is a sect within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. It was established in the early 16th century by Vallabha (1479–1531) and further developed by his descendants, particularly Viṭṭhalanātha. Followers of the Puṣṭimārga worship Kr̥ṣṇa and engage in devotional practices centered around the youthful Kr̥ṣṇa as depicted in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, and the pastimes at Govardhan Hill.[1][2][3]

The Puṣṭimārga sect follows the Śuddhadvaita philosophy of Vallabha. According to this philosophy, Kr̥ṣṇa is considered the supreme deity and the source of everything. The human soul is believed to be imbued with Kr̥ṣṇa's divine light, and spiritual liberation is thought to result from Kr̥ṣṇa's grace.[4] The sect worships Kr̥ṣṇa through sevā, a practice in which his idols are served and entertained with food, drink, music, and art, recreating his daily routine as a youth in Braj.

The followers of this tradition are known as Pushtimargis[5] or Pushtimargiya Vaishnavas.[6] This sect is prominent in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, as well as in their regional diasporas around the world.[1][7] The followers in Gujarat usually belong to the Bhatia, Lohana, Bania, Marwari, or Kanabi Paṭela castes.[8] The Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara is the main shrine of Pushtimarg, with its origins dating back to 1669.[7][9]

  1. ^ a b Vallabhacharya, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Matt Stefon and Wendy Doniger (2015)
  2. ^ E. Allen Richardson (2014). Seeing Krishna in America: The Hindu Bhakti Tradition of Vallabhacharya in India and Its Movement to the West. McFarland. pp. 12–21. ISBN 978-1-4766-1596-7.
  3. ^ Edwin F. Bryant (2007). Krishna: A Sourcebook. Oxford University Press. pp. 477–484. ISBN 978-0-19-972431-4.
  4. ^ Lochtefeld, James G (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. Rosen Publishing. pp. 539-540. ISBN 978-0823931804.
  5. ^ Kim, Hanna H. (2016), "In service of God and Geography: Tracing Five Centuries of the Vallabhacharya Sampradaya. Book review: Seeing Krishna in America: The Hindu Bhakti Tradition of Vallabhacharya in India and its Movement to the West, by E. Allen Richardson", Anthropology Faculty Publications 29, Adelphi University
  6. ^ Harirāya (1972). 41 [i.e. Ikatālīsa] baṛe śikshāpatra: mūḷa śloka, ślokārtha, evaṃ vyākhyā sahita (in Hindi). Śrī Vaishṇava Mitra Maṇḍala. p. 297.
  7. ^ a b Jindel, Rajendra (1976). Culture of a Sacred Town: A Sociological Study of Nathdwara. Popular Prakashan. pp. 21–22, 34, 37. ISBN 978-8-17154-0402.
  8. ^ Mallison, Francoise (1994). "Early Kr̥ṣṇa Bhakti in Gujarat: The Evidence of Old Gujarati Texts Recently Brought to Light". In Entwistle, Alan W.; Mallison, Francoise (eds.). Studies in South Asian Devotional Literature: Research Papers 1981-1991. École Française d'Extrême-Orient. p. 51.
  9. ^ Wendy Doniger (1999). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. p. 781. ISBN 978-0-87779-044-0.