Pushtimarg
પુષ્ટિમાર્ગ
The Path of Grace: Krishna’s love is not earned, only received.
A path of grace
Pushti means nourishment: the grace of Krishna that feeds the soul. Pushtimarg teaches that we cannot win Krishna’s love by effort. We open our hearts, serve him with love, and let grace do the rest.
Vallabhacharya
1479–1531Born to a Telugu family and raised in Kashi, the young scholar Vallabhacharya walked the length of India three times. He taught that the world is real and good, and that loving service, seva, of Krishna is the highest joy.
Shrinathji at Govardhan
On Govardhan hill in Braj, a form of Krishna lifting the mountain appeared and was worshipped as Shrinathji. Vallabhacharya began his seva there. In the 1670s, to keep him safe, Shrinathji was carried to Nathdwara in Rajasthan, where he lives today.
Eight darshans a day
Here Krishna is loved like a child of the house: woken, fed, dressed and sung to across eight darshans a day. Vallabhacharya’s son Vitthalnathji shaped this seva, and the eight poets of the Ashtachhap, Surdas among them, wrote its songs.
મેં તો વલ્લભ પ્રભુજી ના કીધા છે દર્શન
People on this path
- Vallabhacharyaવલ્લભાચાર્ય1479–1531 · called Mahaprabhuji
Founder of the Path of Grace; taught that grace, not effort, brings Krishna close.
- Vitthalnathjiવિઠ્ઠલનાથજી1516–1586 · called Gusainji
His son; shaped the eight daily darshans and gathered the Ashtachhap poets.
- Surdasसूरदास15th–16th century
The blind poet of Braj whose songs of child Krishna are still sung every day.