Shri Raghunathji
(1554 A.D.)

        Shri Raghunathji was born in 1611 V.S. (1554 A.D.) at Charnat near Varanasi.He was the fifth son of Gosainji Shri Vitthalnathji.In Pushtimarg He is regarded as the incarnation of Lord Shri Ram.

        It is said that Shri Raghunathji was not very much learned in his childhood.He did not know Sanskrit,the language of the Vallabh household.Once when Shri Gusainji was doing Shringar of Shrinathji all the children were sitting there,including Shri Raghunathji.At that time Shri Gusainji asked Shri Raghunathji to fetch the box containing ornaments in sanskrit -Manjusham Aanay (bring the box),but Shri Raghunathji could not understand this.When His brothers started to laugh at him Shri Raghunathji went to the adjoining room and started crying.Not able to bear the pain of His grandson Shri Vallabh presented himself before Shri Raghunathji and told him to take the box.He then gave blessings to Shri Raghunahtji that he will be a great scholar.When Shri Raghunathji went back to Shri Gosainji he was singing the "Namratnakhya Stotra".Later he wrote commentries on the Shodash Granthas (The 16 principal writings of Shri Vallabh),Purushottam Sahastranam,etc.He wrote more than 20 books.

        Once the famous poet Saint Shri Tulsidasji came to Gokul.As he was a staunch Ram Bhakt (devotee of Lord Ram),he was not fully satisfied by his visit to the land of Shri Krishna.Sensing this Shri Gusainji asked Shri Raghunathji alongwith his wife Shri Janaki Vahuji to give darshan to Shri Tulsidasji.Shri Tulsidasji had a vision of Rama-Sita in both of them and was very much satisfied.He composed a kirtan-poem at that very moment-Varano Avadh Gokul Gam.

        For the propogation of the Pushti Sampraday Shri Raghunathji visited Gujarat extensively.In Dwarka he settled the dispute amongst the Brahmins of the temple of Shri Dwarikadhishji.Even today the Acharyas of Pushti Sampraday have a right to worship Lord Dwarkadhishji of Dwarka.

        Shri Raghunathji had five sons.His eldest son Shri Devkinandanji(1577 A.D.) was a good scholar and poet. His second son Shri Gopallalji(1580 A.D.) was a very influential Acharya of his time.He had a large following in Saurashtra (Gujarat) and his followers call themselves as followers of "Jai Gopal" sect.