Lord Sripada Srivallabha is the first and Foremost Incarnation (Avatar) of Jagatguru Sri Dattatreya,is well-known as Sripada Srivallabha′s Incarnation took place in 1320 AD. at Srikshetra Pithapuram of Bharata Desa (India).
Sripada Srivallabha is verily Sri Dattatreya himself. There is no difference and deviation between Sridatta and Sripada. Hence if Worshiped and Prayed Sripada Srivallabha in the same way as that of Sridatta, He grants the same result which will be given by Sridatta.
Right from the Childhood while He was at Srikshetra Pithikapuram Sripada Srivallabha narrated many times that,he is SriDatta himself, He is a special phenomenon much beyond the Trinity i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. This can be Understood by His Preachings, Actions, Sportive Plays and Miracles done upto His 30 years of age at Pithapuram and Kuruvapuram, which were very strange, Extremely Wonderful, unheard and defied logic. Sripada Srivallabha Proved his Power and Position through his Divine Miracles,and Conveyed the Good news of his decent to his devotees spread at very distances also, through some extraordinary Miracles, which can be traced out by some experiences only.
The Aim of his Incarnation is to bless Maha Siddhas, Maha Yogis and to Uphold Dharma through them in the Universe. To impart knowledge to the Ignorant, through his actions, Sportive plays and Miracles is Part of his Avataaric Programme.
From time to time, Lord Dattatreya, the Cosmic Principle of the Divine Teacher, incarnates in a human body to enable humans to relate to him and get uplifted. In a previous Age, a group of sages guided by Sage Bharadwaja conducted a great ritual to the Sun and prayed for an incarnation of the Lord. In fulfillment of the promise given by Lord Dattatreya to the group of sages, he decided to incarnate in the present Dark Age (the age of Kali) as Sripada Srivallabha.
Sripada Srivallabha is an Indian Guru from the tradition of Lord Dattatreya. He is the first complete incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. His incarnation took place in the year 1320 AD in Sri Pithikapuram (today known as Pithapuram), near Andhra Pradesh, India.
Sri Sripada Srivallabha stands as a paragon of excellence among incarnations. His incarnation was very much necessary for those whose hearts were polluted by the dark age of Kali, for those whose actions were conditioned by destiny, for those who live by sinful money, and for all the human beings in the Kali Yuga. He is a great treasure of compassion, a personification of ‘Punya’ (good deeds), and a person with a very holy history. He is admired in the world as an expression of the highest spirituality. No one is equal to Sri Sripada Srivallabha in removing all kinds of devotees’ impurities, and imparting them peace when they visit, remember, worship, or meditate upon Him.
In the words of Sripada himself, ‘Undoubtedly, I am Datta. As you have a body, I also came with a body to enable you to recognise Me. But I am formless and without attributes. I will constantly take care of the welfare of those who adore Me with pure devotion, who cast all their burdens on Me, and seek total surrender from Me.’
When one’s previous birth’s sins are annihilated, one will be blessed to learn about Lord Dattatreya and His Divine Incarnations. One will experience His presence everywhere. The unique characteristic of Lord Datta and His Divine Manifestations is not to terminate the evildoers but to transform and make them follow the path of knowledge.
Sripada Srivallabha was born to a pious couple named Ghandikota Appala Lakshmi Narasimha Raja Sharma and Sumathi Maharani as their third son. Sripada had two elder brothers named Sridhara Sharma (born blind) & Rama Raja Sharma (born lame), and three younger sisters – Srividyadhari, Radha & Surekha. Appala Raja Sharma was a great devotee of Lord Datta and lived the life of a priest.
One day, when Appala Raja Sharma was preparing for the anniversary (shrardha karma – a yearly ceremony to pay homage to the departed souls) of his father, a sage with a divine glow on his face came for seeking alms. Sumathi Maharani, moved by the lustre on His face, offered food to Him even though the Brahmins had not had their food. (During such rituals, the guests (Brahmins) who partake in such ceremonies are to be given the utmost priority, and no one else should be offered food until the rituals are over and Brahmins are fed.) Pleased by the gesture of Sumathi Maharani, the sage said, ‘Oh Mother, do you have any wishes?’ Sumathi Maharani prayed, ‘Since you called me Mother, I would be extremely blessed if I had a son of your light and radiance.’ Suddenly the sage turned into a sixteen-year-old boy and said, ‘Mother! I am Sripada Srivallabha. I myself will be born to you.’ Thus, Sripada announced his arrival to his mother, Sumathi Maharani, even before he was born.
The grandparents of Sripada Srivallabha once belonged to the Malayadri village of Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh state in India. Malladi Bapanna Avadhanulu a.k.a. Bapanaarya is the maternal grandfather, and Rajamamba is the maternal grandmother, of Sripada. Bapanaarya was also known as Satya Rusheeshwara (the upholder of truth). There was another great scholar by the name Malladi Sridhara Avadhanulu who was the brother of Rajamamba. Once Bapanaarya and Sridhara Avadhanulu performed a sacred yagna (fire) in ‘Ainavilli’.