Other minor stotras, in which the Eternal consort –Radha- of Shree Krishna is extolled, date from this period; or their composition may be due to the direct or indirect influences of Chaitanya saints. There is no stotra or writing of Vallabhacharya to our knowledge where Radha is extolled in the strain in which Vittaleshwara has done. How far and how much of this influence was retained by Vitthaleshwara is difficult for us to determine from the materials available, though the conclusion of the Anu-Bhashya where Nava-nita –priya and Govardhanadhara only are remembered would show that Vitthales’vara in later times had completely freed himself from the Chaitanya influences. His commentary on Krishnapremamrita and Shringararasamandana may be due to Chaitanya mould of thought.
Or that was the time when the wave of Radha-Krishna worship swept over the whole of India and it would be difficult to say exactly how far the influence of Chaitanya thought is there in the above Stotra .the originality of thought and method of expression are Vitthaleshwara’s own. but we would not be wrong if the composition of the above Stotras was assigned to this period .It is possible that these Stotras are due to Sarasvati Samvada and nothing else.
After his return in Sam vat 1616 Aashadha to the begging of 1619 Vitthales’vara seems to have resided at Adel. On the analogy of Jaganatha ,car –festival was celebrated here .It awes during this period, that he composed his Vidvanmandana. A manuscript dating from
Vaishakkrishna.12 1619 leads us to this to the composition. In any case we cannot assign any later date than this to the composition. In 1619 it appears that Mahomedan invasion made Vitthales’vara give up his abode at Adel for good.
From Adel , after his stay at two or three places , he seems to have moved over to the kingdom of Band he Gadh. Ramachandra,a Waghela Rajput, was the king of the place.
He seems to have received Vitthaleshwara well, who stayed at this place for a couple of months. The relations of Giridharaji the eldest son of Giridharaji by name Muralidharaji was born here on Vijaya Das’ami day. This tansen seems to have come into contact with Vitthaleshwara here. But Vitthales’vara adopted Gokul as his permanent residence, this king Ramachandra visited Gokula. He was received by Vitthales’vara and Giridharaji then.
From Bathegadha, Vitthaleshwara seems to have moved over to Gada. It is difficult to say whether the modern Jubalpur on the banks of the Narmada was Gada of those times. Vitthaleshwara’s Bethak near Jubalpur would go to show that Gad was situated somewhere there. The havoc wrought by Akbars general Asafkhan Vitthales’vara’s desire to go to Gadha was natural. Gadhawas ruled over by queen Durgavati. She was a princess of great reputation. She was married to Dalpatishah in a very romantic manner and out of this union a son was born. When he was three years old, Dalpatishah died. Since then Rani durgavati was the de facto ruler of Gadha acting as Regent for her son Vira Narayana. Even after he was of age she continued to rule over the kingdom. Fifty-two Gadhas (Fortresses) where included in her kingdom. She fought many battles, and on account of her exceptional velour she was called Durgashah. She was very religious and patronized numerous learned Brahmins. Some of the Telagu Brahmin families who were connected with Vitthaleshwara’s family by marital ties lived there. Besides, next to Vijayanagara, the only independent Hindu Kingdom where Vallabhacharya was recognized as the greatest Acharaya by the then ruling king Krishna Eva, this princess Durgavati was the only independent Hindu princess in whose kingdom Brahmins were encouraged and people were extremely happy. Her government was a faultless one and Akbar’s attack on this princess is considered by competent historians to be nothing more than wanton destruction for self-aggrandizement. When Vitthales’vara came to her capital first of all, he put up on the banks of Jammniya-talao or the Rani-talao. Durgavati was so much impressed with his saintly character, high learning and sublime devotion to Krishna that she visited his Ashrama frequently and requested him to accept Gadha as his stay. During his three years stay the relation s between him and the Queen were very cordial. Vitthales’vara’s first wife Rukmini passed away about this time , and he had absolutely no desire to marry again. But under the pressure of Rani Durgavati Vitthales’vara had to marry Padmawati daughter of Krishnaraya Batta on Akshaya Tritiya day of 1620. On another occasion Durgavati gave a gift of 108 villages to Vitthales’vara which were in heir turn gifted away by him to Bhattas, his caste people, who were living there and whose descendants to this day are in enjoyment of the same. During his stay at gadha, a Brahmin by name Brahma- dasa came in his contact. He was blessed by Vitthales’vara by giving him his own waist-coat. From this day the fortunes of this Brahmadasa began to rise and ultimately he became one of the trusted advisers of Emperor Akbar under the now well-known name of Birbal. This Birbal’s relations with Giridharaji were very intimate, as could be gathered from the letters of Vitthales’vara. He seems to have helped Vitthales’vara a great deal when the possession and control of the shrine of Shree Nathaji on the Govardhana Hill were taken over by Vitthales’vara some time later from the Bengalee worshippers.
After his stay for about three years, Vitthales’vara perhaps noticed that even this kingdom of Durgawati would ultimately be invaded by Akabar’s armies. In samvat 1621 (1564 A.D.) a pre-text was found out by Asafkhan by demanding from her, her favourite elephant Gurudar. She naturally refused to comply with the demand. The attack of Asafkhanis the more glaring because Durgavati’s prime minister Adharadasa was deputed by her to the court of Akbar. This seemsto have influences Vitthales’vara in giving up his residence at Gadha. He therefore expressed his desire to Rani Durgavati that he wanted to go and reside on the banks of the Yamuna (Jumna). To meet Vitthales’vara’s desire Rani Durgavati caused to be built at Mathura the Seven Houses which became ultimately known at ‘Sat-gara’. Vitthales’vara and his seven sons lived at Mathura in this Satgara. It was in these days Satgaras that for about two months or so S’ree Nathaji was brought on Falgun Krishna 7,1623 from the Govardhana hill by Giridharaji when Vitthales’vara was on his visit to Gujurat. These seven houses do not exist now, but the pace on which they stood is to this day known as Sat-gara at Mathura. It is situated behind Chhatta Buzaar on the west, and the pilgrims for Parikrama start from this place. At Gadha, Vitthales’vara had very pleasant times. He celebrated the Rathotsava festival. The car was taken in a big procession round the capital in which Rani durgavati took part with all the nobles of her court. In fact all the resources of the state were requestioned for the Rathotsava.
When Vitthales’vara left Gadha, Rani Durgavati sent her minister Adhardasa, to accompany him with a large escort.
After he left Gadha Vitthales’vara does not seem to have been visited by Rani Durgavati. She lost her life while fighting valiantly with Asafkhan, and her son Veeranarayana also seems to |
