Shripad Shrivallabh is the first Purna Avatar of Shri Dattatreya and he was born in 1320 in Pitaapuram in Andhra Pradesh. His parents were Sri Appalaraja and Sumathi Sarma. Shripaada never had any formal education and as per the tradition he was invested the sacred thread in a ceremony. As per the tradition the boy after the sacred thread ceremony is supposed to be trained on Vedas by the Gurus for 8 years. But for the surprise of everyone he started teaching Vedic knowledge to the pupils’ right from the moment of upanayana. People around him considered this as nothing but pure Divine miracle. Shripad Shrivallabh’s parent decided to get him married when he reached the age of 16 but He thought that all women in the world are like his mother. He said that he is married to only one woman and that is Vairagya sthree or the Dispassion-woman.
He explained that his mission is to give guidance and initiation to the holy men and He should be called Shriya-Vallabh, thus He got the name Shri Vallabha. He sought permission from his parent to become a sanyasi and left the house. Shripad ShriVallabh’s mother was disturbed and asked Him who will look after the parents in their old age. Shripad’s brothers were lame and other one was blind. He understood the plight of the parents and touched his brothers. To everyone’s surprise the brother became whole and the miracle dispelled the mask of fantasy that bound them in Samsara. Lord granted the brothers the vision of His real Divine form. Sripada left for the Kashi pilgrimage and visited many Holy places from there. He spent 3 years in Mahabaleshwar and later went to Kurvapur and settled there and performed many miracles and blessed several seekers. All the miracles of Shripad Shrivallabh were complied into a book called Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam.
