the practise and theory of the Sampradaya, from samvat 1600 onwards in Gujarat. Another personality who helped in the spread of Sampradaya was bhail Kothari of Asarva near Ahmedabad. When Vitthaleshwara visited Dwarka or Gujarat, he used to put up with him for a couple of months. Bhailas son-in-law Gopaladasa has given the Sampradaya a charming and unique poem in Navakhyana. The Sampradayika Gatha relates that this Gopaladas was Narsinhna Metha in his preceding birth. Whatever that may be, it helps one in furnishing the latest date of Narsinha Mehta . Vitthaleshwara’s first visit to Gujarat was in 1600 St, and Gopaladasa was then nine years old. The poem of Gopaladasa (Nava Khayana) has been the most popular and revered among Vaishnavas. Every Vaishnava, male and female recites it. The commercial people of Gujarat have been fascinated by it . This poem, it , seems, has been instrumental in shaping Vaishnava attitude towards the Maharajas. The intensely tender feelings with which the Maharajas are looked upon have their genesis in the spread of this lyric. It speaks of Vittalesvara as Goswamiji. From this it would seem that this poem of Gopaladasa could not have composed before 1634. The Sampradayika Gatha informs Vitthaleshwara himself. It is said that Gopaladasa from was dumb, miraculously got his powers of speech as a result of the chewing of the betel leaf offered by Vitthaleshwara. In Cambhat, Jiva Parekh, a celebrated Bania merchant was instrumental in the early spread of Vaishnavavism. On the whole the spread of Vaishnavism in Gujarat was not only rapid but complete. Numerous castes and sub-caste wholly embraced the Vaishnava cult. This continued in increasing proportions during the times of the succeeding generations Vitthaleshwara. Vitthaleshwara himself visited Gujarat not less than six times. His first visit was in 1600 from Adel. The second was also from Adel in 1613. The third one was from Gada in 1619. The fourth one was from Mathura in 1623. The fifth one was in 1631 from Gokul. And the sixth and last visit was also from Gokula in 1638. This would show that for nearly forty years Vitthaleshwara exercised his influence over Gujarat and Kathiawad . The visits to Gujarat were incidential to his visit to the shrine of Dwarkanathji at Dwarka. His desire for and interest in Dwaraka and Gujarat were created by the early reception of this father and his elder brother Sri