| 8 Shrinathji Darshan | Utsav | Realize Yourself | Gift Articles |

The Lord is an important swarup in Pushti Marg, representing Krishna at the age of seven. He with his left arm holds Mount Goverdhan while his right hand rests on the his waist. There is a parrot on the top centre. Two sages are meditating near Shrinathji’s left hand and below them is a snake while another below it is a tiger. Beneath the tiger there are two peacocks. On the other side is one sage beneath him is the snake and two cows. They are evidently inhabitants of Mount Goverdhan watching Shrinathji reverently.

Shrinathji’s left hand was first seen in 1410 on the summit of Mount Goverdhan. It was offered milk because the inhabitants worshipped as a single deity. The face (Mukharvind) of the Lord emerged in 1479 when Vallabhacharya was born.
Hence the birth of the Mukharvind(Lotus like face) of Shrinathji.

In 1493 Vallabhacharya found Lord Shrinathji at midnight in Gokul. He was overcome with emotion and garlanded Lord Shrinathji with pavitra and offered misri.

Anyor is the village below the hill at Mount Goverdhan. A Brahmin known as Sadhu Pande was staying. He had a cow of Nandvash (Gumer) who was grazing on the hill with other cows. One fine morning Gumer poured milk and offered to Lord Shrinathji while he was feeling hungry. Gumer gave less milk and hence he doubted on Gumer that people were pilfering milk. Next day Pandeji secretly followed Gumer offering milk to Lord Shrinathji. He was surprised to see this incident and was glad to have his Darshan.

The next morning everybody climbed the hill and saw that the divine child running forward and embracing Vallabhacharya, lord then asked him to place him in a shrine so that regular seva  could be performed, and said that  divine grace would descend on those who worshipped him further adding “That is why I have revealed myself here.”

Shrinathji during summer sleeps late at night and so rises late in the morning similary in winter Shrinathji retires early at night and so awakens early in the morning. In winter a Saghdi with Coal is lit and placed near him in order to produce heat for the divine child.

Early in the morning the VINA is played to awaken Shrinathji and classical songs and music is sung during other Jhankis. Shrinathji is royally dressed and fed the purest and richest of foods. Even the water he drinks comes from the sacred river Yamuna. Shrinathji wears the best of the Dresses/Jewellery which is very rarely repeated. Normally there are eight Jhanki’s are eight Jhanki’s every day. These eight Jhanki’s are for a short while because shrinathji being a young child can be a Victim of evil eye (Nazar) and moreover each Jhanki has a particular meaning and purpose.