VALLABHA (1479–1531), also called Vallabhācārya, was a Vaiṣṇava Hindu philosopher and religious leader. Vallabha was born in central India at Campāraṇya (Raipur District, Madhya Pradesh) into a family of Vaiṣṇava brahmans originally from the Telugu country. During his childhood, which was spent in Vārāṇasi (Banaras), Vallabha displayed unusual precocity in mastering the scriptures of orthodox Hinduism. In the course of his life he visited most of the holy places of India, publicly expounding his own interpretation of the events of Kṛṣṇa's life as presented in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. In a series of debates with adherents of the nondualism (advaita) promulgated by the eighth-century philosopher Śankarācārya, Vallabha defended the doctrines of devotional worship (bhakti). On one of these occasions he was offered and accepted the position of leader (ācārya) of the Vaiṣṇava school established earlier...