The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hindusim vol 2
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Shuddhi<br />
646<br />
specific attributes, they are thus conditioned<br />
forms <strong>of</strong> the ultimate Brahman.<br />
In fact, any assumption that the world<br />
as it appears is real is a fundamental<br />
misunderstanding that ultimately<br />
causes human beings to be trapped<br />
in karmic bondage, reincarnation<br />
(samsara), and suffering.<br />
Shankaracharya’s philosophical position<br />
was based primarily on the Vedas,<br />
the oldest and most authoritative Hindu<br />
texts, and particularly on the<br />
Upanishads, the speculative texts that<br />
are the latest part <strong>of</strong> the Vedas.<br />
Vallabhacharya used both <strong>of</strong> these<br />
sources in framing his Shuddadvaita<br />
school, but also used the Bhagavata<br />
Purana, which he considered to be <strong>of</strong><br />
equal authority. <strong>The</strong> Bhagavata Purana<br />
is one <strong>of</strong> the later sectarian collections<br />
known as puranas. It is the most important<br />
source for the worship <strong>of</strong> the god<br />
Krishna, whom Vallabha considered to<br />
be the ultimate manifestation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Supreme Being, rather than the unqualified<br />
Brahman promoted by<br />
Shankaracharya. Aside from promoting<br />
a personal conception <strong>of</strong> the deity over<br />
an impersonal conception, another difference<br />
in the two schools concerned<br />
the status <strong>of</strong> the world. For<br />
Vallabhacharya, the world as perceived<br />
is not an illusion but is real, because it<br />
and human beings have both e<strong>vol</strong>ved<br />
from God through the exercise <strong>of</strong> his<br />
supreme power. Krishna is conceived<br />
in the traditional threefold divine aspect<br />
as being–consciousness–bliss. Living<br />
beings possess being and consciousness,<br />
but not the divine bliss, whereas<br />
the material, nonliving, world has<br />
only being. Since this conception<br />
gives real value to the everyday<br />
world, Vallabhacharya described it as<br />
“pure monism.”<br />
In Vallabhacharya’s system God is the<br />
inner controller <strong>of</strong> all souls, which<br />
makes human beings dependent on<br />
God for thinking and perception<br />
(pratyaksha). This dependence on God<br />
highlights the importance <strong>of</strong> grace,<br />
which he refers to as pushti, meaning<br />
“that which nourishes the soul.”<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> this emphasis on grace,<br />
Vallabhacharya’s religious community is<br />
also known as the Pushti Marg. <strong>The</strong><br />
Pushti Marg believes that God’s favor is<br />
gained through devotion (bhakti),<br />
which is open to all and for which there<br />
are no prerequisites. <strong>The</strong> emphasis<br />
on devotion has marginalized all<br />
other forms <strong>of</strong> religious practice, and<br />
the Pushti Marg is particularly known<br />
for rejecting all ascetic endeavors,<br />
such as celibacy, fasting (upavasa), or<br />
renunciation. Its members tend to be<br />
householders coming from merchant<br />
families, particularly from the state <strong>of</strong><br />
Gujarat. <strong>The</strong> community’s primary<br />
temple is at Nathdwara in the state <strong>of</strong><br />
Rajasthan. For further information see<br />
Richard Barz, <strong>The</strong> Bhakti Sect <strong>of</strong><br />
Vallabhacarya, 1976.<br />
Shuddhi<br />
(“purification”) Any ritual purification<br />
that removes impurities and thus<br />
returns one to a state <strong>of</strong> ritual purity.<br />
In a more specialized context the<br />
term denotes the “reconversion” back<br />
to Hinduism <strong>of</strong> people who had<br />
either converted to another religion<br />
or who had adopted practices<br />
characteristic <strong>of</strong> other religious traditions.<br />
This practice was first instituted<br />
in the 1890s by the reformist Arya<br />
Samaj, led by Swami Dayanand<br />
Saraswati. <strong>The</strong>re was a tremendous<br />
stir in the Sikh community when several<br />
Sikhs were a part <strong>of</strong> a group thus<br />
“purified,” and in Sikh accounts<br />
this threat <strong>of</strong> reabsorption<br />
into the Hindu community was one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the major forces behind the Singh<br />
Sabha movement, which defined<br />
the Sikhs as a separate religious community.<br />
In modern times this practice has<br />
been employed by the Hindu nationalist<br />
organization Vishva Hindu Parishad,<br />
which has used it to “purify” certain<br />
groups who had adopted some<br />
Islamic practices.