30 A HISTORY OF HINDI LITERATURE The sharp arrow of His love hath pierced my body through and through, O Mother. When it struck me I knew it not ; now it cannot be endured, O Mother. Though I use charms, incantations, and drugs, the pain will not depart. Is there any one who will treat me ? Intense is the agony, O Mother. Thou, O God, art near ; Thou art not distant; come quickly to meet me. Saith Mira, the Lord, the mountain-wielder, who is compassionate. hath quenched the fire of my body, O Mother. The Lotus-eyed hath entwined my soul with the twine of His attributes."^ Vallabhacharya.— The spread of the worship of Krishna, however, owed most to Vallabhacharya. He was the son of a Brahman from South India and was born at Benares in 1479. He established an image of Krishna at Gobardhan in the Braj country, and from this as his headquarters spread the doctrine of his sect in many parts of India. He wrote many works in Sanskrit, but nothing in Hindi, though the movement he initiated has produced many Hindi writers. He died in 1531 and was succeeded as leader of the sect by his son Vitthalnath. Vitihahiath, who lived from about 1515 to 1585, not only became the leader of the sect which his father had founded but is also credited with having been a Hindi writer. Besides Hindi verses the genuineness of which is doubtful, he is also said to have been the author of a short prose work called Mandan dealing with the story of Radha and Krishna, which must be one of the earliest extant prose writings in Hindi. It is written in Braj Bhasha. Four of the disciples of his father Vallabhacharya, together with four of his own disciples became the celebrated Ashta Chhap, who are mentioned in a later chapter. Divisions of the Bhakti Movement.— During this period (1400-1550) the various bhakti movements of Hindu- ism fall into three groups, namely (1) those who ^ Translation by Macauliffe, " The Religion of the Sikhs," Vol. VI. 356.
