PUSHTIMARG

In the 15th century, our great Guru Shri Vallabhacharyji Mahaprabhuji was born. He is believed to be incarnation of God representing the face of God. While very young, he studied all the Shastras and became a master. He toured over most parts of India on foot and observed that people had taken to worldly vices. Honesty was lost and most had become impious and hypocritical.He observed that not only the paths of Action and Knowledge but the path of Bhakti (Maryada) was not practicable.When he entered Gokul. It was midnight of the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Shravan of Samvat year 1549. his mind was revolving on the important question of restoring people to the right path of devotion. During the first phase of his pilgrimage he observed that people were divided not only politically and culturally but also spiritually and religiously. Besides, the lives of many were not in consonance with the spiritual teachings. He felt the Vedic rituals had lost their significance and the Mantras were ineffective. The holy places had lost their sanctity, the priestly class were corrupt and those that be took to religious instruction, lacked purity, He conceived the souls of men into three types : (1) the worldly-minded souls, (2) the spiritually-minded souls and (3) the divine souls who aspired for the union with God through devotion (Bhakti). The Acharya was most concerned with the last kind of the souls. When his mind was exceedingly troubled over this question, Suddenly Lord Krishna - Shri Gokulchandramaji (Shrinathji) appeared in front of him. Lord then told him, “Dear one, Your anxiety about the spiritual regeneration of divine souls is well founded. The only way is by self-dedication or consecration of self to Me They should realize that only by consecrating themselves, thier lives, wealth, wives, children, their all to Me can they obtain key to union with Me. They should acknowledge their unstinted duty to Me with humility. Then i shall accept them and gave “Gadya mantra” (Formula for reunion with the lord). Vallabh was very pleased, He offered a garland of cotton thread (pavitra)and mishri to the lord.Next morning, he expounded Pushtimarg by intiating his chief and dearest disciple Damodardas Harsani with Brahmasambandh. Pushti means grace of Lord. Pushtimarga is the path of acquiring the grace of God.Efforts are not enough to acquire this grace.When the Lord bestows the Jivas with His grace, then and then only Jiva can acquire his grace. But, aspirant Jiva can easily acquire this grace through his acceptance by Shri Shrimad Vallabhacharya. For acquiring this grace of God. one has to follow Pushtimarg. He has to accept Shrimad Vallabhacharya as his Guru. If he is found fit, then Shrimad Vallabhacharya accepts him as a disciple and initiates him with Brhamasambandha. Jiva has nothing of its own. So while getting initiated with Brhmasamdanda, one has to dedicate everything, including the soul itself, to God and has to become a humble servant of the Lord. He has to accept absolute surrender to God. Then his duty is only to serve to the best of his ability his master.In this Manrta the Jeevatma introduces itself. It says
1) I am part of Bhagvan Shri Krishna2) I have been seperated from him for thousands of years3) Hence I have forgotten Bhagvan Krishna completely4) I have not felt the need or the thirst to seek Him and reunite with Him. Now I have come to realize that mistake. I am such an embodied soul. Jeevatma pledges in front of Him, ‘Oh Krishna! My body, It’s ten Sensory organs, this life, my mind, my husband/wife, my Children, my family, any house, all my wealth, all my Karmas in this life and lives hereafter, along with my ‘atma soul’, I surrender to you. you are their Master from today. Nothing is mine, everything is yours. I will not use any of above for my happiness, But I will use it in my capacity as your servant, oh Krishna! I am yours. He doesn’t have to worry about himself or his dependents - Lord himself will take care of him. He has not to ask or expect anything in exchange for his services. He has to serve his master with pure love and just to serve his master with pure love and just for the sake of love. God will give him what he needs but not what he asks.
By initiation with Brhmasambanda, all the sins of the soul are burnt. He becomes sinless and pious. But to save himself from sins in future, he should act in such a way that except for the name of God, nothing enters his mind. he has to dedicate everthing he eats, drinks. and after the use of it by god he should use it as Prasad of God.
Thus, Pushti is a path of pure love and devotion. It is dedicated to God before you use it. If you have anything you have to dedicate it to God before you use it. If you have nothing. God is pleased with your loving devotion. Pushtimarg is the path in which you can be in the company of God in your present life as well as in the life after …….