Kastuuree tilakam lalaata Phalakee Vakshasthalee Kaustubham
Nasaagree nava mauktikam karatalee venum karee kankanam
Sarvaange hari chandanam sulalitam kantheecha muktaavaleem
Goopastree pariveeshtitoo vijayatee Goopaala chuudaamanii
Srinathji is the incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna as Govardhana Giri Dhari. The story of lifting of the Govardhana mountain is narrated in the Bhagavata Purana. Indra, the king of gods, became angry when he learned that he was not the guest of honor at the Yajna performed by the inhabitants of Gokul since they believed that Krishna alone is the Supreme God. So he sent down a severe hail storm upon them. To teach Indra a lesson in humility, Krishna lifted up the Govardhana mountain with the little finger of His left hand and protected the cowherd citizens and their cattle and property from the storm.
Lord Srinathji’s manifestation was around 1500 AD. The story of Srinathji’s manifestation is connected with the life of Vallabha, the Acharya of Shuddhadvita. Lord Srinathji manifested in the form of Govardhana Giri Dhari in a cave of a mountain in Vraja land. When the priest, Madhavendra Swami offered food to the Deity, He would not accept it. But He accepted it when offered by Vallabha. Vallabha then worshipped Him and built a small temple for Him. Later a merchant named Purnamalli built a bigger temple for the Deity in response to a Divine Command. Vallabha appointed two priests to serve the Deity.
After Vallabha, his son Vitthalanatha took over as the head of the Vallabha’s sect. During this time Aurangazeb was ruling Delhi and the Muslim onslaught was too real to ignore. Vitthalanatha, therefore transferred the Lord’s image to Nathadvara in Udaipur in Rajastan. The image, now known as Srinathji, holds the highest respect of Vallabha’s followers as the highest Svaroopa of God.