THERE is a tradition to read ‘Shri Gurucharitra’ during Datta Jayanti Navratri in Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Gurucharitra, there is a reference about Shripada Shrivallabh, the first incarnation of Lord Dattatreya in Kaliyuga. People reading Shri Gurucharitra since long were knowing very little about the first incarnation of Lord Dattatreya till 2001. A devotee of Lord Dattatreya named Malladi Govinda Deekshitulu from Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh on November 12, 2001 for the first time brought the complete biography of Shripad Shrivallabh in Telugu.

 

‘Sripada Srivallabha Charitamrutam’ (Divine Biography of Sripada Srivallabha an Ecstatic Elixir) was translated by a physician Dr J Satyaprasad M D in English and then it was translated by Bhaumaharaj Nithurkar in Marathi. Since 2001, thousands of the copies the book were translated in many Indian languages. Each translated copy become best seller and highly in the demand of devotees. A Marathi film ‘Deool Band’ highlighted the birth place of Shripada and devotees started visiting Peethapuram, a small town in Andhra Pradesh to worship Shripada Shrivallabha. Shripada Shrivallabha was born as a third child to Appalaraju Sharma and Sumati in 1320 A D. It is said Appalraju Sharma belonged to the lineage of Bharadwaja sage and from Aapsthamba Sootra tradition. The maternal grandfather of Sri Sripada was Brahmasri Malladi Baapannavadhanulu. His wife was Rajamamba.

 

A Brahmin by name Shankar Bhatt, who was contemporary to Shripada wrote the divine biography of Sri Sripada in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit, text it was mentioned,“The first translation of this book would be available in Telugu and a person belonging to the 33rd generation of Sri Bapannavadhanulu would find the book.” In Sripada Srivallabha Charitamrutam it was stated, “It would come into light during the 33rd generation of Sri Bapannavadhani but, it was not explained at what time and in which way it would take place. When Govind Deekshitulu was in meditation Sripada in the form of Sri Nrusimha Saraswati told him that, ‘the time to reveal Charitamrutam to the world has arrived’. He carefully copied the old book which was brittle and was tearing by mere touch.

 

As mentioned in the ‘Charitamrutam, he went to Vijayawada and immersed the old copy in Krishna River. The new book which he copied was handed over after performing ‘parayana’ to Sripada Srivallabha Maha Samsthan as directed in the Charitamrutam.” In last 20 years, thousands of devotees of Lord Dattatreya had experienced the power of this scripture. The devotees believe, “One could understand through experience that this book is an‘Akshara Satya Grandham’.