Baladeva’s Multi-Regional Influences

Abstract

  The article "Baladeva’s Multi-Regional Influences" by David Buchta examines the intellectual and geographic mobility of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, a leading 18th-century Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theologian. Buchta traces Baladeva’s career across several key regions—Orissa, Rajasthan, and Vṛndāvana—demonstrating how his theological contributions were shaped by, and in turn helped unify, divergent regional religious currents. Through detailed analysis of Baladeva’s writings and biographical data, Buchta explores how Baladeva engaged with Mīmāṁsā, Nyāya, and Vedānta schools, while responding to critiques from rival sampradāyas, particularly the Śrī Vaiṣṇavas. A significant portion of the article focuses on Baladeva’s defense of Gauḍīya legitimacy in the absence of a traditional Vedānta-sūtra commentary, culminating in his authorship of the Govinda-bhāṣya under pressure from Rājasthānī royal patrons. Buchta argues that Baladeva’s multi-regional scholarly formation and institutional backing allowed him to crystallize a formal Gauḍīya Vedānta that synthesized Bengal’s bhakti-centered ethos with broader pan-Indian epistemic frameworks.