Vallabha on Rights and Relations

Abstract

Jeffrey R. Timm’s "Vallabha on Rights and Relations" examines the ethical and metaphysical structure of Śuddhādvaita Vedānta, especially as formulated by Vallabhācārya, with a focus on the concept of relationality as central to divine and human identity. Timm argues that for Vallabha, the self’s essence is not autonomy but relational being (sambandha), grounded in its eternal connection to Kṛṣṇa. Drawing from Vallabha’s Subodhinī and key Purāṇic sources, the article explores how dharma arises not from abstract duties or rights but from one's ontological embeddedness in a divine-human matrix. Timm also draws parallels with Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Buber, suggesting that Vallabha’s view of moral personhood as inherently interrelational presents a valuable alternative to Western rights-based individualism. The essay contends that Śuddhādvaita’s theological anthropology—where pūruṣārtha, bhakti, and anugraha (grace) form a triangular ethical dynamic—invites a reconsideration of responsibility, justice, and devotion as dialogical rather than contractual. In doing so, Timm elevates Vallabhite philosophy as a viable contributor to global moral discourse, especially in cross-cultural dialogues on relational ethics.