Vaishnavism is the tradition of devotion to Vishnu and his avatars, above all Rama and Krishna; a devotee of Vishnu is called a Vaishnava. It has no single founder: its schools grew from the Tamil Alvar saints and from teachers such as Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Chaitanya, four of which tradition calls the “four sampradayas”. These schools explain the relation of God and the soul in different ways, but all hold God to be a person with distinct qualities and worship him in his images.
- Chief deity
- Vishnu (Narayana), with Lakshmi
- Main avatars
- Rama and Krishna
- Teachers and saints
- The Alvar saints (7th–10th century), Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha, Chaitanya, Ramananda
- Philosophy
- Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, Dvaitadvaita, Shuddhadvaita, Achintya-bhedabheda
- Main centres
- Srirangam, Tirumala-Tirupati, Udupi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Puri, Nathdwara, Pandharpur
- Tilak
- Urdhva pundra: two or more vertical lines shaped like a U, with or without a central line or dot; each sampradaya has its own form
- Main festivals
- Janmashtami, Rama Navami, the Ekadashi fasts
What Vaishnavism is
For Vaishnavas the absolute reality (Brahman) is manifest in Vishnu, who comes as Rama, Krishna and other avatars to defend dharma. In the Gita Krishna says that whenever dharma declines he appears, to protect the good and to establish dharma (4.7–4.8).
Vaishnavism has many groups that explain the relation of the soul and God differently. According to Britannica what they share is belief in God as a person with distinct qualities, worshipped through his manifestations and images; most Vaishnavas also blend tradition with local practice.
History in brief
According to Britannica Vasudeva-Krishna was worshipped as a god by the 5th century BCE. In the South, the Tamil Alvar saints of the 7th to 10th centuries went from temple to temple singing to Vishnu; in the 10th century Nathamuni gathered their hymns into the Nalayira Prabandham, the “four thousand songs”.
Then came the great teachers: Ramanuja at Srirangam (11th–12th century), Madhva at Udupi (13th century), Nimbarka, and in the 15th–16th centuries Vallabha in Braj and Chaitanya in Bengal. In North India the Ramanandi tradition grew from Ramananda, in Maharashtra the Varkari Panth from Jnanadeva and Namdev, and in the 19th century the Swaminarayan sampradaya in Gujarat. The devotional literature of the 10th to 16th centuries, in Sanskrit and the Indian languages, is still part of Vaishnava worship.
Beliefs and practice
The avatar is basic to Vaishnavism. According to Britannica the usual list of ten (the Dashavatara) is Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, the Buddha and the future Kalki; some lists have Balarama in place of the Buddha, and some texts count 24 avatars.
Devotion (bhakti) is its path. Many schools teach that the soul is lifted from rebirth to release by God’s grace; the Alvars stressed total surrender (prapatti), and in Chaitanya’s tradition the chanting of the Name is central. Most devotees see the temple image not as a mere symbol but as a real form God takes (archa avatara).
Schools
Tradition counts four sampradayas: Sri (Ramanuja, Vishishtadvaita), Brahma (Madhva, Dvaita), Rudra (Vishnuswami and Vallabha, Shuddhadvaita) and Sanakadi (Nimbarka, Dvaitadvaita). After them came traditions such as the Gaudiya (Chaitanya, Achintya-bhedabheda), the Ramanandi, the Varkari and the Swaminarayan. The four, and where their count comes from, are on the page “The four Vaishnava sampradayas”.
Main centres
The Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam was Ramanuja’s centre; at Tirumala-Tirupati Vishnu is worshipped as Venkateswara; Udupi is the main centre of the Madhva tradition; Mathura is held to be Krishna’s birthplace and Vrindavan the scene of his play; Puri has Jagannatha; Nathdwara is the centre of Pushtimarg and Pandharpur of the Varkaris.
Where the sources differ
- The list of ten avatars: the usual list has the Buddha as the ninth, some lists Balarama instead; in Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda Krishna himself is the supreme god who descends ten times, and some texts count 24 avatars (Britannica).
- Links of the later traditions: the Gaudiya tradition links itself to the Madhva sampradaya and the Ramanandi to Ramanuja; some scholars have questioned both links (details on the page “The four Vaishnava sampradayas”).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vaishnava sampradaya?
The tradition of devotion to Vishnu and his avatars, above all Rama and Krishna. Its followers are called Vaishnavas, and it has many schools, four of which tradition calls the “four sampradayas”.
Who founded the Vaishnava sampradaya?
No single founder. Each school comes from its own teacher: the Sri sampradaya from Ramanuja, the Madhva from Madhva, the Nimbarka sampradaya from Nimbarka, Pushtimarg from Vallabha and the Gaudiya tradition from Chaitanya. Before them came the devotion of the Tamil Alvar saints.
What are the ten avatars of Vishnu?
The usual list: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, the Buddha and Kalki. Some lists have Balarama in place of the Buddha (Britannica).
Why do calendars sometimes give a Smarta and a Vaishnava Ekadashi on different days?
At times the Ekadashi fast is given on two consecutive days. According to Drik Panchang, Smarta households then fast on the first day, and the Vaishnava Ekadashi may fall one day after the Smarta one, so Vaishnavas check a Vaishnava calendar for their fasting day.
What does the Vaishnava tilak look like?
According to Britannica it has many variations, but generally it is two or more vertical lines shaped like a U (urdhva pundra), representing Vishnu’s foot, with or without a central line or dot.
Sources
- Bhagavad Gita 4.7–4.8
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Vaishnavism”, “Hinduism: Vaishnavism and Shaivism”, “Krishna”, “Alvar”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Ramanuja”, “Madhva”, “Vallabha”, “Chaitanya movement”, “Ramananda”, “Varakari Panth”, “Swami-Narayani”, “tilak”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “What is Janmashtami and why is it celebrated?”, “Rama Navami”
- Drik Panchang: Ekadashi dates (Smarta and Vaishnava)
- Himalayan Academy (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery): “The Four Denominations of Hinduism”
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