Sripada Sri Vallabha, born in Pithapuram (formerly Pitikapuram) in Andhra Pradesh, is revered as the first complete incarnation of Lord Dattatreya in the Kali Yuga. Other renowned incarnations of Dattatreya—such as Narasimha Saraswati, Manik Prabhu, and Swami Samarth—appeared after him.

Born to a scholarly family with roots in Malayadri village, Sripada’s divine birth was foretold during a yajna in Ainavilli, where Ganapati appeared and prophesied his incarnation on Ganesh Chaturthi. His maternal grandfather, Malladi Bapanna Avadhanulu, and uncle, Sridhara Avadhanlu, were prominent Vedic scholars.

At the age of 16, Sripada Sri Vallabha took sannyasa and later attained jalasamadhi at 30 in Kuravapuram (Kurugaddi), a sacred island on the Krishna River near Raichur, Karnataka. He is believed to be chiranjeevi (immortal), existing in tejorupam (pure energy form). He spent much of his spiritual life in Kuravapuram, with frequent visits to Vallabhapuram on the opposite bank, walking across the river. Sripada visited several holy sites, including Kashi (Varanasi), Badarikashram, Gokarna, Srisailam, and Kuravapuram. His life and divine acts are detailed in sacred texts like Shri Guru Charitra, making him a central figure in the Dattatreya Sampradaya.