Retrieving Gopīnāth From the Margins of Puṣṭi Mārga History

Presenter:

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Abstract

This paper proposes to examine the long-neglected figure of Vallabhācārya’s eldest son and successor, Gopīnāth (1512-1543) and his place in the history of the Puṣṭi Mārga. The important and influential seventeenth century sectarian history known as the Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā (CVV) acknowledges Gopīnāth as playing an important role in growing the institutional base of the Puṣṭi Mārga after the demise of his father. His condemnation, however, as an unfit successor to Vallabhācārya in the commentary to the CVV by the seventeenth century theologian, Harirāy (1590?-1715) lead to the near neglect of Gopīnāth in modern sectarian and academic histories. This paper will examine the controversies within the early history of the Puṣṭi Mārga that led to the marginalization of Gopīnāth and the elevation of his younger brother, Viṭṭhalnāth (1515-1585), to the status of Vallabha’s only legitimate successor. This, in turn, will be used as the historical context against which to to understand how current theologians within the community have sought to grapple with Gopīnāth’s legacy to the Puṣṭi Mārga and have tried to rehabilitate his image as they seek to raise awareness among a new generation of devotees about the history of their community. In doing so, this paper will use the current debates about Gopīnāth’s legacy to better understand the concerns that are shaping the religious discourse of the Puṣṭi Mārga today.