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Hita Harivamsa and the Radha-Vallabha Sect

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OCT 21 2003 - KRISHNA TALK 44 ‹ previous (/writings/the-vision-of-guru) 43 of 240 next › (/writings/chanting-the-holy-name)

Question: There is a famous temple (Radha Vallabha Mandira) in

Vrndavana where the Deities of Radha Vallabha are worshipped and
which is visited by many western devotees when they come to Vraja.
What is the background of this temple and does it have any link with
the Gaudiya sampradaya and it's philosophy?

Answer: The Radha-Vallabha Mandira belongs to the followers of

Hita Harivamsa who was the founder of the Radha-Vallabha sect and
of the siddhadvaita-vada philosophy. The Radha-Vallabhas should
not be confused with the Vallabha sampradaya of Vallabhacarya,
which is another story. The Radha-Vallabha Temple in Vrndavana has
no actual connection with the Gaudiya sampradaya although
Harivamsa himself originally did.

Harivamsa was born in 1502 near Mathura into a Gauda-brahmana

family. Later on in life he went to Vrndavana where, according to
various Gaudiya Vaishnava hagiographies and works such as the
Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana, he became the disciple of Srila Gopala
Bhatta Gosvami. Unfortunately, some time after, Harivamsa was
rejected by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami when he obstinately refused to stop taking betal-nut prasada on Ekadasi claiming
that he was instructed to do so by Srimati Radharani. This very much displeased Gopala Bhatta Gosvami who then
rejected Harivamsa as his disciple. Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja comments on this subject:

"There was one disciple of Gopala Bhatta by the name Harivamsa. He was of a little different type, something
like sahajiya. He was seen one day to chew betel-nut in the Ekadasi fasting day but objection was raised by
other disciples of Gopala Bhatta. Harivamsa, started a section named Harivamsi. (Radha-Vallabha).
Harivamsa himself was a disciple of Gopala Bhatta, but some difference. Little slackness in the strict life of
faith. Srila Rupa Goswami says we must observe vaidhi-bhakti for as long as we can't get admission into the
level of raga-bhakti. Das Goswami also says we shall show reverence to raga-bhakti, but we shall try to live
within vaidhi-bhakti, rules and regulations, sastra regulated devotion. But the arrogant do not care for this
instruction of the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This party (Harivamsa / Radha-vallabha) says that
they have connection with the Gopala Bhatta sampradaya - Gaudiya vaisnavism with a little deviation. They
want to begin with raga-bhakti, anu-raga.

"They are worse than sahajiyas! Sahajiyism formerly accepts everything, but they want easy entrance to do
only what comes naturally without work, and they don't admit the necessity for formal devotion. They are lazy
in their practice, preferring the enjoying mood to the serving mood, but service means sacrifice. So the
atmosphere is dangerous and any theistic awakening we should mark with all attention and care so that we
may not go down again to the depths of nescience. Very carefully we shall try to collect our wealth. Real
progress towards the Infinite gives the idea, 'That I am nothing, I am in great danger.' Progress towards the
Infinite is like that. 'Thinking I have it, I am above.' This is a foolish feeling, foolish statement. The very nature of
advancement is that, 'I am low, I am undone, I am the most helpless.' The closer we are the further away we
will feel, whereas the further away we actually are from divinity - we may complacently feel we are close. As
much as we come into the relativity of the Infinite, we cannot but conceive ourselves to be the lowest of the
low. That is the criteria.

"The very sign of real progress will show I am nothing, I am the most needy, the most wretched and the most
helpless. The negative aspect must be improved to attract the positive. If one point of the negative will say, 'I
am positive' then immediately it will be rejected, you are under the false control of maya. Rather to think, 'I am
the meanest of the mean,' that will attract the attention of the high. This is the science of devotion proper.
(Conversation, Navadvipa 1983)

So Harivamsa was definitely rejected by Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, as confirmed by Srila Sridhara Maharaja. Naturally
however, it stands to reason that the followers of Harivamsa deny this story vehemently and claim that when Harivamsa
was seven years old he had a dream that Radharani initiated him into the sacred yugala-mantra thus they declare that he
actually took diksa directly from Radharani Herself and not Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Such a dubious story was even
contested and doubted during Harivamsa's lifetime by some of his own disciples, such as Vitthala Dasa. It would thus
seem that Harivamsa's rejection by his guru Srila Gopala Bhatta resulted in his fabricating the story of his initiation by
Radharani in order to cover over his embarrassing predicament and simultaneously gain some distinction from the
public.
 The biographies of Hita Harivamsa written by his followers go on to state that although
Harivamsa was already married by the time he was in his early 30's, he left his wife and
children and took two co-wives, Krsna-dasi and Manohari-dasi again claiming that he had
been instructed to do so by Srimati Radharani. From such instances, it appears that
Harivamsa did not exhibit proper sadacara (exemplary Vaisnava behavior) and thus cannot
be considered a pure devotee in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

In 1535, with the help of a wealthy Gujarati named Lalubhai, he built the Radha-Vallabha
Temple and installed the Deities of Radha-Vallabha at Purana Sahar in Vrndavana. The
temple quickly gained much popularity amongst the public, but not among the pure
Vaisnavas. It is said that Harivamsa died in 1609.

The difference between Harivamsa and the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya does not end in
Harivamsa's rejection by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.
Hita Harivamsa
According to the Radha-Vallabha sect, Harivamsa dictated the book 'Radha-rasa Sudha
Nidhi' when he was only six months old and it was written down by his uncle Nrsimhasrama. This fantastical story is
disputed by the Gaudiyas who declare that it was actually Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati who composed the Radha-rasa
Sudha Nidhi. Almost all of Harivamsa's works are written in the local Vraja-bhasya dialect of Vrndavana except his
Yamunastakam (and it is still debated by many scholars whether this was written by him at all). However, if one
compares the works of Harivamsa and Srila Prabodhananda one will observe that the same linguistic style is prevalent
throughout all of Prabodhananda's works such as Ascarya-rasa-prabandha, Navadvipa-satakam, Sangita-madhava,
Caitanya-candramrtam and Vrndavana-mahimamrta. Thus it is most likely that the followers of Harivamsa plagiarized
the Radha-rasa Sudha Nidhi and attributed it to their founder by concocting the implausible tale of Harivamsa composing
this work when he was only six-months old.

Another important point that separates the Gaudiyas from the Radha-Vallabha sect is that Harivamsa rejected the
injunctions of the scriptures. He rejected the rules of Deity worship, the ten samskaras (purificatory rites), the importance
of fasting on Ekadasi, the worship of Salagrama-sila and the worship of Tulasi-devi. These aspects of sadhana rejected
by Harivamsa are all in the realm of vaidhi-bhakti. Persons such as Harivamsa and other pseudo-Vaisnavas state that
there is no need of following these regulations because the residents of Goloka do not follow them. Since one must take
shelter (anugatya) of an eternal resident of Vraja-dhama, we should follow in their footsteps and reject the angas of
vaidhi-bhakti that hinder our attempts to perform raganuga-sadhana. This is the misguided opinion of the Radha-vallabha
sect.

Furthermore, they opine that since Krsna loves His devotees, He becomes happier when they live a life of luxury and
material comfort than when they perform devotional austerities (such as fasting on Ekadasi, Janmastami etc). Thus the
Radha-Vallabha sect belittles any type of asceticism and uphold their founder's lifestyle of sensuality as superior to that
of the lifestyle of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami.

That one must take shelter of an eternal resident of Vraja is also accepted by the Gaudiyas, but it is not accepted that
one should arbitrarily reject practices favorable for cultivating proper devotional sentiments. Srila Rupa Gosvami
Prabhupada has written thus:

krsnam smarana janancasya prestham nijasamihitam

tattat katha-ratascasau kuryadvasam vraje sada

"One (who treads the path of raganuga-bhakti) always resides in Vraja by

constantly remembering his most beloved Sri Krsna and His dear associates and by
following their sentiments one has a burning desire for the service of one's beloved
Lord.

seva sadhaka-rupena siddha-rupena catra ca

tad bhava lipsuna karya vraja-lokanusaratah

In Vraja, one engaged in spiritual practices under the guidance of a resident of

Vraja with an eager desire in the wake of bhavas (feelings and sentiments towards
the Divine Couple) should serve Them both, whether at the stage of a sadhaka or at
the stage of a siddha." (Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu 2:294-5)

However, in his commentary to these verses, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has explained that even in ones
sadhaka-deha one must follow the various angas of vaidhi-bhakti:

etena braja-loka padena vrajastha sri radha-lalitadya eva grahyas tasam anusarenaiva sadhaka dehena
kayikyadi-sevapi karttavya. evam sati tabhir guru-padasrayanaikadasi-vrata salagrama tulasi sevadayo na
krtastad anugater asmabhir api na karttavya ityadhunikanam vimatam api nirastam.

ataeva sri jiva gosvami-caranair api asya granthasya tikayam tathaivoktam. yatha-vraja-lokas tat tat krsna
prestha-janas tad anugatas ca iti. atha raganugayah paripatimaha krsnam ityadina. prestham sva-
priyatamam kisoram nandanandanam smaran evam asya krsnasya tadrsa-bhakta-janam. athaca svasya
samyag-ihitam sva-samana-vasanam iti yavat. tathaca tadrsam janam smaran vraje vasam sada kuryat.
samarthye sati sriman nanda-vrajavasa-sthana-vrndavanadau sarirena vasam kuryat. tad abhave
manasapity arthah.

"Someone may argue that the word 'vraja-loka' only refers to Srimati Radharani,
Lalita etc, then with the sadhaka-deha one should perform bodily services
following in their foot-steps. If this were so, then the followers of the Lord's dear-
most associates would find it unnecessary to perform the angas of devotion such as
 taking shelter of a spiritual master (sri guru padasraya), observing Ekadasi-vrata,
worship of Salagrama, worship of tulasi etc, since it is not mentioned anywhere
that Radharani and Lalita ever performed these activities. This mistaken
conclusion accepted by those who have taken shelter of modern heretical opinions
is also refuted by the word vraja-loka.

In his commentary to this verse of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Jiva Gosvamipada has explained the same thing;
namely, that the word vraja-loka not only refers to the dear-most associates of Sri Krsna but to their followers such as Sri
Rupa Gosvami and others. Thus, one should perform internal service (manasi-seva) through one's siddha-deha by
following in accordance with Sri Rupa Manjari and other Vraja-vasis. With the sadhaka-deha, one should perform bodily
service by following Sri Rupa Gosvami and others." (Bhakti-rasamrta Sindhu Bindu)

Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami and other great Vaisnava saints observed Ekadasi, tulasi-puja,
salagrama-puja etc. though such activities of vaidhi-bhakti are not performed by the vraja-gopis. Srila Visvanatha
Cakravarti explains in his Bhaktirasamrta-Sindhu-bindu that various angas of vaidhi-bhakti which are compatible for the
cultivation of raganuga-bhakti should not be discarded, such favorable angas of vaidhi-bhakti are classified as
bhavamaya, bhava-sambandhi, bhavanukula and bhavaviruddha. However, some of the angas of vaidhi-bhakti are
antagonistic to developing spontaneous love for the Lord (bhava-pratikula) such as nyasa (placing various mystic
syllables on the body for purification), mudra (hand-gestures used in Deity worship), ahamgrahopasana (identifying
oneself with one's worshipful Deity), dvaraka-dhyanam (meditation upon Krsna's pastimes in Dvaraka) and rukminyadi-
puja (worship of Rukmini-devi and the other queens of Dvaraka).

Unless one accepts this concept and method of raganuga-sadhana, it is certain that one will become bewildered and fall
into a quagmire of mental concoction in the unripe stage of his spiritual life. So long as one is conditioned and under the
influence of the modes of nature, it is imperative to follow the path of vaidhi-bhakti-sadhana. Initially the neophyte must
clear his anarthas, and only then can he develop a spontaneous taste for devotional service through the medium of
chanting the Holy Name etc. Then an intense desire automatically appears in the heart to follow in the footsteps of the
eternal associates of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda. When such an intense and genuine desire appears, the aspirant is no longer
bound by the rules of the scriptures, yet he does not abandon the scriptural rules either.

However, this is not a simple achievement and caution must be taken at every step. To achieve such a rare gift one must
first receive the special grace of Sri Guru and the other residents of Vraja-dhama. If one is misled and simply imitates
those who are real relishers of raganuga-bhajana, discarding the preliminary path of vaidhi-bhakti capriciously, then the
result will only be confusion and ruination.

The story of Harivamsa's dismissal by Srila Gopala Bhatta due to his willingness to break the Ekadasi vrata seems highly
plausible when one reads the Radha-vallabha work 'Seva-sakhi vani'. In there it is mentioned that Harivamsa rejected all
fast-days because it denied him the pleasure of taking prasadam. Concerning Ekadasi, it would be poignant here to
compare Harivamsa's contrast of mood to that of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

"Lord Caitanya said, "To not observe complete fasting on Ekadasi will greatly endanger one's spiritual life.
Honour prasadam on Ekadasi only by offering it obeisances and eating it the next day. In this way, one can
easily cross this material ocean. The fast is any way over on the following day. The non-Vaisnavas gormandize
without control, offering only lame excuses that they are honoring maha-prasadam. They do this on Ekadasi,
because they are engrossed day and night in sense enjoyment. They enjoy grains and rice on Ekadasi and
thereby eat the sins that enter grains on such days, disregarding the sanctity of Ekadasi vrata. You must
diligently execute devotional service and respect the process of devotion. You will then surely receive the
blessings of Bhakti-devi Herself. Avoid the association of non-devotees and properly observe the Ekadasi vrata
by constantly chanting the holy name." (Chapter 18, Prema-vivarta, by Sri Jagadananda Pandita).

The holy day of Ekadasi was considered to be so important by the Gaudiya smrti-acarya, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami,
that he dedicated an entire chapter to it in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Little wonder then that he was highly disappointed with
the negligent behavior of his errant disciple, Harivamsa.

Some sections of the Radha-vallabhis consider Harivamsa to be the joint incarnation of Sri Krsna and His flute (hence
the name 'hari-vamsa'), whereas others opine that he is the incarnation of Sri Lalita-sakhi. If this indeed was the case, it
seems unlikely that Harivamsa would encourage the general populace to directly oppose the injunctions of the scriptures
and claim that one's own 'spiritual revelations' carry more relevance. If there is no scriptural boundary set, then anyone
can claim that their own 'spiritual revelations' carry more weight than the scriptures. Anyone can claim anything as a
genuine path to attain the highest goal. Thus, the sastras and their laws become immaterial and society is cast into
chaos. By following such a contrived mode of sadhana one will only find himself in darkness. Therefore, in Bhagavad-gita
(16:23-24) Sri Krsna tells Arjuna:

yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah

na sa sidddhim avapnoti nasukham param gatim

tasmac-chastram pramanam te karyakarya-vyavasthtitau

jnatva sastra-vidhanoktam karma kartum iharhasi

"One who acts whimsically, rejecting the scriptural injunctions, attains neither
perfection, happiness nor the supreme goal of life. Thus the scriptures are your
authority in deciding what is to be done and what is not to be done. Understanding
their injunctions, you should act accordingly in this world."
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Topic: Parampara (/writings/parampara)

Tags: adhikara (/tags/adhikara) , apa-sampradaya (/tags/apa-sampradaya) , Gopala Bhatta Goswami (/tags/gopala-bhatta-goswami) , Hita

Harivamsa (/tags/hita-harivamsa) , krsna-lila (/tags/krsna-lila) , parampara (/tags/parampara) , Prabodhananda Sarasvati (/tags/prabodhananda-

sarasvati) , Radha-vallabha (/tags/radha-vallabha) , Radharani (/tags/radharani) , raganuga-bhakti (/tags/raganuga-bhakti) , sahajiya (/tags/sahajiya) ,

vaidhi-bhakti (/tags/vaidhi-bhakti) , Vrndavana (/tags/vrndavana)