over India. He composed doctrinal texts, devotional hymns, and an elaborate
ritual treatise the Kramadı ̄pika ̄, which influenced Caitanyaite authors. His suc-
cessor, S ́rı ̄ Bhat.t.a, is the first a ̄ca ̄ryaof the Nimba ̄rka school known to have
written in Braj bha ̄s.a ̄, the vernacular of the Braj region. His Yugalas ́ataka
describes the divine loving couple of Kr.s.n.a and Ra ̄dha ̄, a theme which became
increasingly popular also among several other Vais.n.ava traditions from the six-
teenth century onwards (Clémentin-Ojha 1990: 333–8, 374).
S ́rı ̄ Bhat.t.a’s disciple, Harivya ̄sadeva ̄ca ̄rya (probably sixteenth century), who
wrote in Braj bha ̄s.a ̄as well as in Sanskrit, had a strong influence on the organ-
ization and theology of Nimba ̄rka’s tradition. This tradition developed into 12
branches based in 12 monasteries. A number of subdivisions later arose, pro-
gressively weakening its cohesiveness. While in its early stages, the Nimba ̄rka
tradition stressed the ascetic values, however initiating lay members into its fold.
Under Harivya ̄sadeva ̄ca ̄rya, lay members received the right of initiating others
and transmitting this right to their male descendants. These householder
preceptors were later called gosva ̄mı ̄s and the wealth which they accumulated
significantly contributed to the developement of the tradition (Clémentin-
Ojha 1990: 346–8).
The school of Vis.n.usva ̄min
Information on Vis.n.usva ̄min and on his school, later referred to as Rudrasam-
prada ̄ya by north Indian Vais.n.ava traditions, is very scanty. Vis.n.usva ̄min pre-
dates Vallabha (sixteenth century) and is often said to have lived in the thirteenth
century. Vallabhite hagiography describes him as the son of a south Indian
priest. None of his works including commentaries on Bha ̄gavatapura ̄n.a and
Brahmasu ̄tras have survived. According to Ma ̄dhava’s Sarvadars ́anasam.graha
(fourteenth century) the followers of Vis.n.usva ̄min’s school maintained that the
body of Nr.sim.ha (Vis.n.u’s incarnation as man–lion) is eternal. It cites a verse
from the Sa ̄ka ̄rasiddhi of a S ́rı ̄ka ̄ntamis ́ra which pays hommage to Nr.sim.ha
whose body is made up of existence, consciousness, and continual inconceivable
bliss, and who is esteemed by Vis.n.usva ̄min. Some scholars mention that accord-
ing to the Sarvajñasu ̄tra attributed to Vis.n.usva ̄min, God, whose principal incar-
nation is Narasim.ha, takes a form consisting of existence, consciousness, and
bliss, is accompanied by his knowledge which is named hla ̄dinı ̄and has ma ̄ya ̄at
his disposition (Shukla 1971: 12). S ́rı ̄dhara (fourteenth to fifteenth centuries)
refers to Vis.n.usva ̄min in his commentary on Bha ̄gavatapura ̄n.a. In his commen-
tary on the same text Vallabha differentiates Vis.n.usva ̄min’s views from his
own. Vis.n.usva ̄min’s followers are said to have om. ra ̄makr.s.n.a ̄ya namah.andom.
ra ̄makr.s.n.aharias mantras, the Gopa ̄lata ̄panı ̄ya-upanis.ad and the Gopa ̄lasahas-
rana ̄man as manuals. Farquhar claims to have met several ascetic followers of
this school in Allahabad in 1918 (Farquhar 1967: 239, 304; Dasgupta 1975:
382).
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