Baladeva Vidyabhushana

Baladeva Vidyabhushana (disappeared 1768) was a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava acharya (religious teacher). He never mentioned his birthplace or anything about his family background. Historians have estimated that he was born sometime in the 18th century, in Odisha (possibly near Remuna, Balasore ).

At a very early age, he finished his studies of grammar, poetry, rhetoric and logic and then went on pilgrimage. During this time he spent some time with the Tattvavadis in South India and thus became conversant with the Vaishnava Theology of Sri Madhva. He became a powerful exponent of this system throughout India.

During his travels he again came to Utkaladesa (Odisha) and met with a grand-disciple of Sri Rasikananda Deva, Sri Radha-Damodara Deva by name, with whom he discussed philosophy. Sri Radha-Damodara Deva explained the conclusions of Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology as expounded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These talks penetrated his heart and awakened divine love within. Thus, after a few days he was initiated with the Radha-Krsna mantra and began to study the Sat-sandarbhas of Sri Jiva Gosvami.

In a very short time he became very expert in Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. With the permission and blessings of his guru, he moved to Sri Vrindavana (Vrindavan) to further study these teachings under Sri Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura. Baladeva fully accepted the Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy and began to preach it with great vigor.

Around this time, a vaishnava sect known as Ramanandi sect, in the court of the king Sadacari Raja at Jaipur, Rajasthan, complained that as the Gaudiya Vaisnavas had no commentary on the Vedanta Sutra, they were not qualified to worship the Deity and therefore the worship should be turned over to them. They also objected to the worship of Srimati Radharani along with Sri Krishna as not being authorized anywhere in the shastras.

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