Vitthalanatha


Vitthala-natha, popularly known as Gusainji, was an Indian philosopher. He was the younger son of Vallabhacharya, who founded the Pushtimarg religious sect of Hinduism.

Names

The name Vitthalanatha is also pronounced as Vitthalnath in modern vernaculars because of schwa deletion. His other names include Vitthaleshvara, Vitthala Dikshita, or Agnikumara. In addition, he is known by the title Gosvami.

Early life

Vitthalanatha was born around 1516, as the second son of the religious scholar Vallabha.
His devotees consider him an incarnation of the god Vitthal of Pandharpur. He was brought up by Vallabha till the age of 15, and after that, by Vallabha's disciple Damodara-dasa.
He was proficient in the Vedas, the Brahma Sutra, and the Mimansa philosophy. He studied nyaya at Navadvipa.

Religious activities

After the deaths of his father Vallabhacharya, his elder brother Gopinatha, and Gopinatha's son Purushottama, Vitthalanatha emerged as the main leader of the religious sect established by his father. Initially, he faced some opposition from other leaders of the sect, including Krishnadasa, a manager of the Shrinathji Temple. Krishnadasa banned Vitthalanatha from entering the temple because of personal disputes, but later, reconciled with him. Vitthalanatha forgave him, and made him in-charge of the Govardhan Hill temple.
Vitthalanatha propagated the teachings of his father, and established a religious centre at Gokul.

Literary works

The texts and commentaries attributed to Vitthala include: