Birth

        Shri Vallabh was born in the year 1478 A.D.(Vik.Sam.1535) in Champaranya near Raipur in Central India.He was the son Of Shri Laxman Bhatt and Illama garu.Shri Laxman Bhattji was the descandent of Yagnanarayan Bhatt,to whom the Lord had promised on the completion of a 100 Somayagnas that the Lord himself would be born in his family.

        In the Year in which Shri Vallabh was born there was a rumour that there was going to be an invasion in the city of Benaras(Varanasi).So shri Laxman Bhattji left Benaras with his wife, who was pregnant, and started from their house at Hanuman Ghat in Benaras to go to his native village in Andhra Pradesh (South India).

        On the way when they came to the little forest of Champaranya Shri Illamaji had severe labour pain and gave birth to Shri Vallabh.This was only the seventh month of the pregnency period so all were not sure whether the child would survive.At first Shri Vallabh did not cry or make any sort of movement that a new born baby makes.Even when Shri Laxman Bhattji tried a few things he did not respond.So all of them thought that the child was born dead and so they continued with their journey leaving Shri Vallabh behind in the forest.

        At night the Lord himself came to Shri Laxman Bhattji and told him to go back and pick up the child who was the incarnation of the Lord himself.Shri Laxman Bhattji sat up from his sleep and decided to go back to the spot where he had left Shri Vallabh,though he thought that the child might have perished alone in that forest.On returning to that place all of them saw that Shri Vallabh was playing and had the thumb of his leg in his mouth and a ring of fire was lit up around him to protect him.All those present, along with Shri Laxman Bhattji himself, were astonished on seeing this scene.After a while all of them regained their senses and Shri Illamaji picked Shri Vallabh in her hands as the ring of fire disappeared.

        They took Shri Vallabh back to Varanasi instead of going to their native place.On their way they stayed in Chauda Nagar for performing some of the initial sanskaras such as the namkaran (naming of a child).After a few days they returned to varanasi.

Education

        Shri Vallabh was interested in studies from his early childhood.When all the other children of his age were busy playing with toys, Shri Vallabh used to play with books.When he was 6 years old Shri Laxman Bhattji engaged good teachers to teach Aksharbhashya to Shri Vallabh.In no time Shri Vallabh had learnt all the things that the teachers could teach at times surpassing his teachers with his sharp reasoning and brilliant thinking powers.

        When Shri Vallabh was nine years old Shri Laxman Bhattji performed the Yagyopavit Sanskara (thread ceremony) of his two sons (Shri Vallabh had an elder brother,Shri Ramchandra Bhattji).Soon afterwards the best teachers were employed to teach subjects such as Adhyatma Vidya (education of the Vedas) and Shad Darshan (six systems of Indian Philosophy) to them.Shri Vallabh acquired command on these subjects within only two years of initiationAt the tender age of 11 years Shri Vallabh began discussing the intricacies of the meaning of the various doctrines such as Vishishtadwaita,Kewaladwaita,Dwaita,etc.in a most critical manner.This surprised all those who met him.

        From this we can see that Shri Vallabh was a very bright and good student of all the aspects of the Hindu society and achieved their thorough knowledge at a very tender age.