Hariram Vyas was a 16th-17th century spiritual poet, classical musician and saint belonging to the Radha Vallabh Sampradaya. Radhavallabha is a Vaishnava denomination which began with the Vaishnava theologian Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu. Hariram Vyas together with Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu and Swami Haridas are known as Haritraya (Trinity of Hari). He is considered to be an incarnation or descension of Vishakha Sakhi who is considered to be the foremost sakhi of Radharani. He is credited with a large body of devotional compositions, especially in the Dhrupad style. His work influenced both the classical music and the Bhakti movements of North India, especially those devoted to Krishna's consort Radha. As a poet he is credited for bringing development of Krshna-Bhakti literature to light in the pages of Indian history. Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, Vitthalnath (Gusainji), and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were his contemporaries.
Life and background
Hariram Vyas Ji was born in the year 1512 in a Sanadhya Gaur Brahmin family in Orchha, Bundelkhand. His father Shri Sumokhan Shukl was a follower of Madhva tradition, he was a respected man in his community, and Rajguru(royal priest) of the Orchha royal family. Hariram ji showed a keen interest in Sanskrit from an early age and achieved great mastery of Vedas and Holy Scriptures at a young age. He was soon appointed as the Rajguru(Royal priest) to King Madhukar Shah of Orchha. Apart from being an renowned pandit and intellectual he was also famous for his debating skills.
In his early years he was obsessed with debating with other intellectuals and had defeated many famous Pundits. He would go and do Shashtrarth (debate) with any Pundit he would hear about and win the debate with his knowledge. But, this phase of his life didn't last very long. Soon, he gave up engaging in meaningless debates, shallow arguments and was completely devoted to the bhakti-marg. He soon renounced his home, family, wealth, and his position as the rajguru of Orchha king and came to Vrindavan. There he lived his life as a vagabond and spent time in satsang with saints like Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu and Swami Haridas.
There are many disagreements and contradicting theories about who his diksha - guru was. One theory suggests that he was initiated into Madhva tradition by his father Sumokhan Shukl and that his deviation from the tradition and his interest towards Krishn bhakti was inspired by the preachings of his father's guru Sanyasi Madhavdas. And, finally after hearing a doha written by Sant Navaldas he followed his inner voice and came to the epicenter of madhura bhakti - Vrindavan where he began his satsang with Shri Haridas and Hit Harivansh.
Another popular theory suggests that after hearing about the popularity of Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu he came to Vrindavan and challenged him for a debate. But, upon hearing one of his dohas became his disciple.
Vyas Ji's father Sumokhan Shukl had been a disciple of and received Madhva tradition diksha from Shri Madhavdas who was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's guru-bhai. And, Vyas Ji had received diksha from his father in the same tradition. Hence, even though he was not a direct disciple of Madhavdas, he comes under his Guru-Shishya tradition.
Vyas Ji in his Sanskrit work called 'Navratna' has also clearly mentioned that he considers himself to belong to Madhva tradition. But, in his later years he felt a pull towards Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu's Radha-Vallabha tradition. This is the reason we can find both Dvaita philosophy of Madhva tradition together with the devotional worship elements of the Radha-Vallabha tradition.
While one of his son was a disciple of Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu's son Vanchandra Ji, his other son Kishoredas received diksha from Swami Haridas. This shows that Vyas Ji respected all traditions equally.
Poetry and other works
Hariram Ji's poems, couplets, dohas were largely composed in Braj bhasha. However he has composed and written in Sanskrit as well. Apart from devotional dohas or couplets, he also wrote couplets on life principles, morality, and stories of his times. He is said to have composed thousands of couplets and dohas. But the exact number is not known. Some of his known major devotional dohas, poems in Braj bhasha have been compiled and published in a book called Shri Vyas Vani. Other works include 1) Raagmala (Hindi/Braj Bhasha) 2) Navratna (Sanskrit) 3) Swadharm Paddati (Sanskrit)