This devotion is best developed through total ser-
vice to the divinity and his servants.
Further reading: Richard Barz, The Bhakti Sect of
Vallabhacarya (Faridabad: Thomson Press, 1976);
G. H. Bhatt, Sri Vallabhacharya and His Doctrines
(Delhi: Butala, 1980); Sharad Goswami, Manual of the
Devotional Path of Pusti. Translated by M. R. Paleja
(Gujarat: Sri Vallabhacarya Trust, 2002); James D.
Redington, The Grace of Lord Krishna: The Sixteen
Verse Treatises (Sodasagranthah) of Vallabhacharya. Sri
Garib Das Oriental Series, no. 257 (Delhi: Satguru,
2000); Natvar Lal Gokal Das Shah, A Life of Shri Val-
labhacharya (Baroda: Shri Vallabha, 1984); Jethlal G.
Shah, Shri Vallabhacharya: His Philosophy and Religion
(Nadiad: Pushitmargiya Pustakalaya, 1969); Brajnath
R. Shastri, Shrimad Vallabhacharya and His Doctrines.
Sri Vallabha Studies, no. 5 (Baroda: Shri Vallabha,
1984); G. V. Tagare, Brahma-Vada Doctrine of Sri
Vallabhacarya (New Delhi: D. K. Printworld, 1998);
Swami Tapasyananda, The Bhakti Schools of Vedanta
(Madras: Ramakrishna Mutt, 1990).
Valmiki author of the Ramayana
Valmiki is the mythological author of India’s great
epic the RAMAYANA. His authorship, however, con-
sisted simply in putting into a lasting composition
a story that was related to him by the ancient RISHI
(seer) NARADA.
Valmiki is said once to have seen a hunter
shoot a male bird as it was making love to its
mate. The female bird, seeing her mate bleed-
ing and in distress, cried out piteously. In grief
and sorrow, Valmiki uttered a poetic verse of
two lines that upon reflection made a special
meter. Because he received the line in sorrow
(shoka), Valmiki termed the meter shloka. It is
in this meter, suitable to be accompanied by the
Indian lute (vina), that most of the Ramayana
was composed.
Further reading: J. L. Brockington, Righteous Rama: The
Evolution of an Epic (Delhi: Oxford University Press,
1985); Ilapavuluri Panduranga Rao, Valmiki (New
Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 1994).Vamana Avatar
There are many versions of the stories about
VISHNU’s Vamana AVATA R (incarnation), as there are
about his other manifestations.
In the best-known Vamana story, the avatar
appeared in order to fight the asura (demon or
antigod) Bali, who had succeeded by his religious
austerities in gaining supreme power over the
three worlds. Because of his own powers he was
depriving the gods of the offerings that ordinar-
ily went to them. They went to Vishnu to ask for
assistance. He took on the form of a dwarf (vamana
means “dwarf” in SANSKRIT) and approached the
arrogant demon, BALI. The foolish demon king
offered the dwarf the boon of having whatever
territory he could cover in three paces. Thereupon
the dwarf, who was Vishnu himself, took one step
to possess the Earth, another to possess the sky,
and another to possess heaven itself. (In some
versions Vamana takes two paces to step over the
whole universe and the last step onto Bali’s head.)
Thus did Vamana return the worlds to the gods.Further reading: Nanditha Krishna, The Book of Vishnu
(New Delhi: Viking, 2001); A. K. Ramanujan, Hymns
for the Drowning (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University
Press, 1981); Pandrimalai Swamigal, The Ten Incarna-
tions: Dasvatara (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
1982).vanaprastha
In the orthodox Brahminical stages of life for
men, vanaprastha, going into the forest, is the
third stage or ASHRAMA. After he has completed his
studentship and fulfilled his duty in life (when he
has seen his children’s children), the man enters
the forest with or without his wife to devote him-
self to celibacy, austerity, study of the VEDAS, Vedic
sacrifices, and spiritual discipline. This stage isvanaprastha 477 J