The Nimbarka sampradaya is the Vaishnava tradition that comes from Nimbarkacharya. It worships Radha and Krishna together, and its philosophy is Dvaitadvaita (svabhavika bhedabheda): Brahman, that is Shri Krishna, is at once different and not different from souls and the world. Tradition counts it among the four Vaishnava sampradayas as the Sanakadi (Kumara) sampradaya, its line of teachers running from Hamsa Bhagavan through the Sanakadi Kumaras and the sage Narada to Nimbarka. Its main seat is Nimbarka Tirtha (Salemabad) in Rajasthan, and Braj, above all Vrindavan, is its heartland.
- Teachers
- Nimbarkacharya (by tradition an incarnation of the Sudarshana discus); later Shrinivasa and Keshava Kashmiri Bhatta
- Lineage
- Hamsa Bhagavan, the Sanakadi Kumaras, the sage Narada, Nimbarka (by tradition)
- Philosophy
- Dvaitadvaita (svabhavika bhedabheda)
- Main texts
- Nimbarka’s Vedanta-parijata-saurabha (on the Brahma Sutra) and Dashashloki (Vedanta-kamadhenu); Shrinivasa’s Vedanta-kaustubha
- Main centres
- Nimbarka Tirtha, Salemabad (Kishangarh, Rajasthan); Vrindavan, Barsana, Nandgaon, Govardhan
- Tilak
- The vertical Vaishnava mark (urdhva pundra), in the sampradaya’s own form
- Main festivals
- Janmashtami and Nanda Mahotsav, Radhashtami, Guru Purnima
What the Nimbarka sampradaya is
Nimbarka identifies Brahman with Shri Krishna, all-knowing, all-powerful and the final cause of the world; his stress is on a personal God and on devotion. According to the sampradaya’s seat, the highest object of worship is Radha-Krishna, and devotion is expressed through seva, remembrance, chanting of the Name and prapatti (surrender).
History in brief
By tradition Nimbarka’s first name was Niyamananda, and he received mantra initiation from the sage Narada near Govardhan in Braj. His name is explained by a story of “nimba” (the neem tree) and “arka” (the sun), in which the Sudarshana discus shone like the sun on a neem tree.
His date is disputed. Tradition regards him as very ancient; in the Encyclopedia of Religion Bimal Krishna Matilal gives Surendranath Dasgupta’s view that he lived in the mid-14th century, and the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy places him, with a question mark, in the 13th century. According to Matilal he probably came from Nimba or Nimbapura in the Bellary region, while tradition links him mainly with Mathura.
After him came teachers such as Shrinivasa (author of the Vedanta-kaustubha), Keshava Kashmiri Bhatta, Purushottama Prasada and Vanamali Mishra. Nabhadas’s Bhaktamal counts “Nimbaditya” among the four sampradaya teachers and links him with the Sanakadi Kumaras. Today the head of the Akhil Bharatiya Nimbarkacharya Peeth at Nimbarka Tirtha (Salemabad) is named as the 49th Jagadguru of the line.
Beliefs and practice
Dvaitadvaita, or svabhavika bhedabheda: Brahman is both different and not different from souls and the world, and this difference and non-difference belong to its own nature, not to any outside limiting condition. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Nimbarka comes closest to holding difference and non-difference to be equally real, and his thought is deeply influenced by the bhakti of Ramanuja.
The sampradaya worships Radha and Krishna together, holding Radha inseparable from Krishna. At the seat of Nimbarka Tirtha, Shri Sarveshvar, a shaligram, holds the highest place, and Shri Radhamadhav (Gokulchandrama) is the seat’s other main image.
Main centres
The Akhil Bharatiya Nimbarkacharya Peeth is at Nimbarka Tirtha, Salemabad (near Kishangarh) in Rajasthan. Braj is its heartland: the seat names Vrindavan, Barsana, Nandgaon, Govardhan, Nimbgram and the 84-kos circuit of Braj as its sacred places.
Where the sources differ
- Nimbarka’s date: tradition regards him as very ancient; Dasgupta (cited by Matilal) gives the mid-14th century; the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives “13th c.?”.
- Birthplace: according to Matilal probably Nimba or Nimbapura in the Bellary region; tradition links him mainly with Mathura and Braj.
- Founder or teacher: the Encyclopedia of Religion calls Nimbarka the founder of the Sanakadi sampradaya; the sampradaya itself traces its line from Hamsa Bhagavan and the Sanakadi Kumaras, with Nimbarka as a later teacher in it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Nimbarka sampradaya?
The Vaishnava tradition from Nimbarkacharya, which worships Radha and Krishna together and follows the Dvaitadvaita philosophy. Tradition counts it among the four Vaishnava sampradayas as the Sanakadi (Kumara) sampradaya.
Who was Nimbarkacharya?
The teacher of the Dvaitadvaita philosophy, who wrote the Vedanta-parijata-saurabha on the Brahma Sutra and the ten-verse Dashashloki. Tradition holds him to be an incarnation of the Sudarshana discus and a disciple of the sage Narada; scholars disagree about his date.
What is Dvaitadvaita?
“Both duality and non-duality”: Brahman (Shri Krishna) is both different and not different from souls and the world, and both belong to its nature. That is why it is also called svabhavika bhedabheda.
Where is the seat of the Nimbarka sampradaya?
The Akhil Bharatiya Nimbarkacharya Peeth is at Nimbarka Tirtha, Salemabad (near Kishangarh) in Rajasthan. Braj, above all Vrindavan, is the sampradaya’s heartland.
Why is it called the Sanakadi sampradaya?
Because tradition traces its line of teachers from Hamsa Bhagavan to the four Kumaras led by Sanaka (the Sanakadi), then to the sage Narada and then to Nimbarka. Nabhadas’s Bhaktamal also links Nimbaditya with the Sanakadi Kumaras.
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Religion: “Nimbārka” (Bimal Krishna Matilal, 1987)
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: “Bhedabheda Vedanta”
- Jagadguru Nimbarkacharya Peeth, Nimbarka Tirtha (shrijimaharaj.com): home page and “Sampradaya”
- Nabhadas, Bhaktamal, chhappay 28 and doha 29 (numbering of the “Mul Bhaktamal” edition on archive.org)
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