Shripad Shri Vallabha

Shri Shripad Shrivallabha Swami, the rst complete avatar ofShri Dattatreya in Kaliyuga

Shripad Shri Vallabha (c. 1320-1350 CE) was a saintwho lived in Pithapuram, a town in present-day AndhraPradesh state of India. He is considered as rst avatars(incarnations) of the deity Shri Dattatreya in Kaliyuga.A sketchy information is available about his life from thebook Shri Shri Guru Charitra written by Saraswati Gan-gadhar inMarathi around 1450CE, whichwas later trans-lated to Telugu by Brahmasri Pannala VenkatadriBattuSarma of Pitaapuram. Later in November 2001, a fullbook of 53 Chapters on the Life of Sripada Vallabha wasbrought out by a devotee by nameMalladi Govinda Deek-shitulu. At present, Telugu (translation from Sanskrit ver-sion), Marathi and English and Kannada translations (byname 'Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam') are avail-able.

1 LifeShripada srivallabha was born to Sri Appalaraja Sharma(of Aapastambha Shakha Brahmin) and Sumathi onBhadrapada Sudha Chavithi ( Ganesh Chaturdi) as the

third son of Aappalaraja Sharma and Sumati. His Avataarsecrets: When Appalaraja Sharma family was preparingfor the shraaddha (a yearly ceremony to pay homage tothe departed souls), around noon, some Bhikshuk camefor bhiksha. Though custom prevents it but Veda says theone who comes for food at any eating time is none otherthan Vishnu himself, before feeding the invited Brah-mins, she fed this Bhikshuk, considering him as Vishnu.Dattaatreya became quite happy and showed His true selfand oered her a boon. She asked for a son knowledge-able like you for which Dattaatreya said yes. Beforethis, she had many childbirths and none survived, albeirtwo sons, who were blind and lame respectively. Dat-taatreya blessed her by saying that she will have a sonwho will be a Guru to all. The couple became joyous andwithin a year they had a son and named Him as 'Shri-paada'. It was said that the child had rare holy markingsonHis soles and feet (Paada). The child never took formaleducation, He was having all knowledge from his birth it-self, for He was Omniscient & Omnipotent. Shripaadanished his studies of Vedas, Shastras etc. by the age ofseven and after his "Upanayan" (Munja) he started lec-turing on these. When he reached the age of 16, his par-ents thought of getting him married. However, he saidthat he is married to only one woman Vairagya-stree(Vairagya means Dispassion, stree means Woman) andthus he should be called Shriya-Vallabh. Thus the nameShripada ShriVallabha. He left their home for Kashi-pilgrimage. To satisfy His crying mother, before leav-ing, he looked at his two elder brothers who were blindand lame, and made them as scholars, and asked themto take care of their parents. He left Pithapuram forBadrikedar towards North. After the pilgrimage, he wentto Gokarna Mahabaleshwar in South. After spending 3years at Mahabaleshwar he went to Shri Shaila moun-tain (Sri Sailam). He spent most of his later life stay-ing in Kuravpur ( Kuravapura ) near Jurala reservoir (16.35671, 77.53727 ).

1.1 Ambika Var-Pradanam (Blessing ofAmbika)

It is this place where the future incarnation (avatar) re-lated stories happened. The rst one is of woman calledAmbika, whose children were dying. Only one survivedand he turned out to be a moron. Her husband died aftertrying to teach his son, but to no success. After her hus-bands death, she tried to teach the boy, but nally gaveup. The boy was ridiculed by village people and no one

1

2 1 LIFE

was ready to give him their daughter. He was not evenable to do proper 'Bhiksha' ritual and earn some food,so the widow mother had to do it though it was not theright thing to do. The mother had decided to end theirlives in the Krishna River. Here they met Shripaada ShriVallabha who was taking bath. She was quite impressedwith Swamiji and asked that in the next birth she wouldhave son like him, and to permit her to end that life thenitself. After hearing her full story He asked her to doShani-pradosh-vrata. Blessed, she still insisted on end-ing that Janma then and there. Shripaadaji put his handover the boys head. The boy became a learned scholarinstantly. The woman Ambika in her next birth becameAmba-Bhavani of Lad-Karanja (A place in Maharashtra)and became the mother of Shri Narashimha Saraswati(Shri Shripaada ShriVallabhs next avatar).

1.2 Rajak Var-Pradanam (Blessing ofWasherman)

A washerman (Rajak) has become the disciple of Shri-paadji, and faithfully did his Seva, washing Swamijisclothes. One day this man saw the local Sultan movingin with royal boats, army, and women, etc., and seeingsuch extravaganza, compared it with his own poor formand was quite depressed. Shripaadji asked him what wasthe matter, he said that he wanted to have that kind ofroyal life. Shripaadji blessed him to become the king.When that washerman cried that he would then go awayfrom Him, Shripadji assured him that he would meet himat Vidura Nagari in their next births.It is believed that the Bedars sultan Allauddin II (1435-58AD) might have been this king who met with ShriNarasimha Saraswati (next avatara of Shri Dattatreya orreincarnation of Shri Shripad ShriVallabh).

1.3 Vallabhesh Brahmin StoryThis following story happened just after the avatar-samapti (end of avatara) of Shri Shripadji. It seems thisVallabhesh Brahmin was doing business, and once he saidthat if he earns more than his usual earnings, he will goto Kuravpur and feed 1000 Brahmins with the additionalprot thus earned. Indeed, that year he made some hugeprot and then decided to complete his vow. While hewas approaching Kuravpur, on his way he was met withfew dacoits who accompanied him in disguise to loot him.Later while travelling, they attacked, beheaded and killedhim. Shri Shripaadji suddenly appeared from nowhereand killed all the dacoits with His Trishul. Only one wasspared, who begged Shripaadji as Lord Shiva. Shripadjispared him and asked him to stick the head of Vallabheshon his beheaded body and brought him to life. VallabheshBrahmin later completed his vow and became a full dis-ciple of Shri Shripad ShriVallabh.It is interesting to note that this Vallabhesh Brahmin is

considered as the mula-purush (family originator) of theHedgewar family. Dr. K. B. Hedgewar who founded theRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (the RSS) is the 9th gen-eration man from Vallabhesh.[1]

1.4 PithapuramSwamy temple was constructed according to his guide-lines as he told in Sripadasrivallbha charitamrutam (lifehistory) in Srikshetra Pithapuram and is being main-tained by Sripada Srivallbha Mahasansthanam. Pithapu-ram is located on Vijayawada-Vishakhapattanam railwayline and is near to (about 1012 km from) Samalkot junc-tion and about 20 km from Kakinada Town. The nearestdomestic airport is Rajahmundry (mentioned in the Sri-padasrivallbha charitamrutam as rajah mahendry) whichis connected to Hyderabad and Bangalore.

1.5 Kuravpur

Shri Shripad Shrivallabha Dhyaana Sthaan at Kuravpur

Shripadji stayed here most of his life. The story of Val-labhesh Brahmin shows that the village must have beenquite big enough to at least accommodate about 1000Brahmins. Now (as of 2006 AD) the population has re-duced and there are many elds in between the templeand the village. The village is at one end of the island andthe temple is at the other end. There are two, frequentlyused, routes to reach Kuravapur. One is via Raichur inKarnataka state and another one is via Makthal in AndhraPradesh state. Either way one has to cross the Krishnariver in a small elliptical boat (Putti or Theppa) to reachthis island.Via Raichur: Raichur is about 10 or 12 hours jour-ney from Pune by train. At Raichur one can hire abus/rickshaw towards ATKUR (40 km). The Kannadapronounce of this village is . Ask Chandrabandaroad which starts on the Right turn after one masjid onthe road leading to Gulbarga. Just take that Right turnand travel nearly 35 km to reach this place. Do not travelafter 4 pm if there is no ernest need, otherwise do halt in

3Raichur and travel early morning next day as one have tocross river Krishna in the small boats. At ATKUR onecan hire a Theppa to cross the Krishna river and reachKuravapura. The ocial rate is Rs. 20/- per person -oneway (in year 2012), but in the late evening, the chargescan be much higher, so it is better to negotiate the Theppadriver before travelling in it. There is also a KSRTC busservice from Raichur bus stand to Atkur, which leavesfor Atkur at 7:30 am, 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, 4:00 pm and7:00 pm. The 13:30 pm bus ends at Atkur(village), theother buses end at the bank of Krishna. 'Visitors can visitthe website of local Guruji at www.kuruvapur.org (kindlynote the spelling as it is not Kuravapur but kuruvapur forthis website),wherein one can get enough information andcontact numbers of local priests (Guruji)Via Makthal: Makthal (Mahaboobnagar district,Andhra Pradesh) is 68 km from Mahaboobnagar busstation and 168 km from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.Some buses from Hydrabad to Raichur, via Mahaboob-nagar, stop at Makthal. Mahaboobnagar is connected byrail route also. One has to hire an auto or taxi (jeep) fromMakthal to river bank (ask for Panchdev Pahad or Vitthalbaba ashram). River bank is 17 km fromMakthal. Thereare two locations on the river bank where Putti or smallboats can be hired. One is Panchdev Pahad and anotherone is behind Vithal baba ashram (1 km from ashram).Number of boats near Vitthal baba ashram are less. It isrisky to travel by primitive means of Putti when the RiverKrishna is full of water i.e. during rainy reason. Kurava-pur is very quiet. There is a cave where Shri Tembeswamiused to meditate.

1.6 Sidda Mangala Mantra: Chanting ofthis Mantra will do miracles

1. Srimadananta Sree Vibhushita Appala LakshmiNarasimharaajaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava !!2. Sri Vidyadhari Radha Surekha SreeraakhidharaSreepadaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava!!3. Maataa Shumathi Vaatschalyaamruta pariposhita JayaSreepadaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava !!4. Satya Rusheewara Duhitaanandana BaapanaaryanutaSree Charanaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava!!5. Savitrakaathaka Chayana Punyaphala BharadwajaRushi gotra Sambhavaa!

Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava !!6. Do Chowpaatee Dev Lakshmi Ghanasamkhyaa Bod-hitaa Sree Charanaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava!!7. Punyaroopinee Raajamaambasuta GarbhapunyaphalaSamjaataa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava !!8. Sumateenandana, Naraharinandaana DattadevaprabhuSreepadaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava !!9. Peethikaapura Nityavihaara, Madhumati Dattaa, Man-galaroopaa!Jaya Vijayeebhava, Digvijayeebhava, SreemadakhanadaSree Vijayeebhava !!

2 External links Ocial website

3 Notes[1] Dr. Hedgewar Charitra: N. H. Palkar, pp 12, 435436.

4 TemplesSriPada Srivallabha mahasamsthanam - Venu-gopalaswamy Temple Street, PITHAPURAM - 533 450E.G.Dist. A.P., India.

5 References Shri Dattatreya Dnyankosh by Dr. P. N. Joshi (ShriDattateya Dnyankosh Prakashan, Pune, 2000).

Datta-Sampradyacha Itihas (History of Datta Sam-pradaya) by Dr. R. C. Dhere (PadmagnadhaPrakashan, Pune).

Sri Pada Charitra- Shankar Bhatt ( Submitted in Tel-ugu Version by Sri Malladi Diskhitulu)

Sankshipta Sripada Srivallabha CharitramrutamParayana grantham (abridged by Smt Prasanna Ku-mari Telugu Version)

SriPada Sri Vallabha Website - www.sripadavallabha.org

4 5 REFERENCES

SriPada Vallabha Miracles - www.sripadavallabhamiracles.com

SriPada Sri Vallabha Sansthan/ Pithapuram,E.G.District, A.P, India

Shree dattavtar Samarth sadguru Shree NANA MA-HARAJ TARANEKAR INDORE MP GANGA-PUR (SADHNABHAWAN)AND TARANA GURUMANDIR

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Life Ambika Var-Pradanam (Blessing of Ambika) Rajak Var-Pradanam (Blessing of Washerman)Vallabhesh Brahmin Story Pithapuram Kuravpur Sidda Mangala Mantra: Chanting of this Mantra will do miracles

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