Srivaishnava
Encyclopedia
Sri Vaishnava is a universal term among Hindus for worshippers of Vishnu. They are not limited to any part of India. Over its long history, Sri Vaishnavism has influenced nearly every aspect of Indian religious life.
To the devout Sri Vaishnava, the religious concept of Brahman is best expressed by the term ``God. Brahman is Infinite, not just in physical terms, but in metaphysical and qualitative terms. Brahman is the absolutely real abode of all consciousness. He is infinitely auspicious, infinitely blissful, supremely gracious, infinitely merciful, infinitely beautiful -- in fact, infinitely infinite. The relationship between God and the universe is one of love, as all this is but a conscious emanation from Him. We are to Him as a child is to a parent, as a friend is to a friend, and as a beloved is to a lover.
Brahman also stands in relation to the universe and the individual souls as the Self of each, providing the basis for their reality. As such, Brahman has matter and individual souls as His body, and is therefore the Supreme Being in whom all reality is comprehended. All that we see is but a spilling from the plenitude of His glorious, all-pervasive essence. This is why the favorite devotional name for God among Sri Vaishnavas is Narayana -- He in whom all beings rest.
and Tenkalai. It is widely believed that the two sects are distinctly different in origin. But some believe the two subsects to have originated in the 14th century AD following a split in the Iyengar community.
Overview
Sri Vaishnava culture dates back to the 10th century when this system was pioneered by the first Sri Vaishnava Acharya in the lineage, Sri Nathamuni. Further this system was expounded by the lineage of acharyas in the expounding of SriVaishnavism and got popularity in a community of the followers of the system, the present day Iyengars. To this day, they mainly hold the system of Srivaishnavism. Sri Vaishnavism was mainly expounded by the great philosopher, Sri Ramanuja. To this day, it is called SriSampradaya and Iyengars mainly follow it. Sri Sampradaya or Sri Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava sect within Hinduism. While its origin is lost in antiquity, its codification is generally traced back to around the 10th century when a collection of the devotional hymns and songs by Alvars was organized by Sri Nathamuni, who is considered to be one of the pioneers of the sect.Introduction to the SriVaishnava philosophy
The philosophy of Sri Vaishnavism is known in Sanskrit as Visistadvaita. The term literally means ``non-duality of Reality as characterized by attributes. As a classical expression of Vedanta (the philosophical basis for much of Hinduism), the goal of Visistadvaita philosophy is to understand and experience Brahman, the One Blissful Reality who is the all-pervasive ground and sustenance of the universe -- the string upon whom all pearls are threaded. The ``pearls, individual beings and matter, are inseparable attributes of the Supreme Person, modes of Its existence.To the devout Sri Vaishnava, the religious concept of Brahman is best expressed by the term ``God. Brahman is Infinite, not just in physical terms, but in metaphysical and qualitative terms. Brahman is the absolutely real abode of all consciousness. He is infinitely auspicious, infinitely blissful, supremely gracious, infinitely merciful, infinitely beautiful -- in fact, infinitely infinite. The relationship between God and the universe is one of love, as all this is but a conscious emanation from Him. We are to Him as a child is to a parent, as a friend is to a friend, and as a beloved is to a lover.
Brahman also stands in relation to the universe and the individual souls as the Self of each, providing the basis for their reality. As such, Brahman has matter and individual souls as His body, and is therefore the Supreme Being in whom all reality is comprehended. All that we see is but a spilling from the plenitude of His glorious, all-pervasive essence. This is why the favorite devotional name for God among Sri Vaishnavas is Narayana -- He in whom all beings rest.
Establishing dates
Sri Vaishnavism was expounded in the later Bhakti period.Before that,the twelve Alvars were mainly the pioneers of this system.Srivaishnava Brahmin (Iyengar) subsects
Among the Iyengar brahmins following Sri Vaishnavism, there are two sects, namely VadakalaiVadakalai
Vadakalai , meaning Northern branch are a subsect of the Vaishnavite Iyengar community of Hindu Brahmins. In Sanskrit the Vadakalai are referred to as Uttara Kalārya . Vadakalais are followers of Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika....
and Tenkalai. It is widely believed that the two sects are distinctly different in origin. But some believe the two subsects to have originated in the 14th century AD following a split in the Iyengar community.
- The Vadakalai Iyengar community (Uttara Kalārya ,Sanskrit: उत्तर कलार्य) ardently follows the SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
VedasVedasThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, and the set of rules prescribed by the Manusmriti and Dharma ShastrasDharmasastraDharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning, pertaining to Hindu dharma, religious and legal duty. The voluminous textual corpus of Dharmaśāstra is primarily a product of the Brahmanical tradition in India and represents the elaborate scholastic...
. The sect is based on the Sankritic tradition, and follows - Ramanuja and Vedanta DesikaVedanta DesikaVedanta Desika was a Sri Vaishnava Guru. He was a poet, devotee, philosopher and master-teacher...
. The Vadakalai Iyengars are believed to be an Indo-AryanIndo-AryansIndo-Aryan is an ethno-linguistic term referring to the wide collection of peoples united as native speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian family of Indo-European languages...
people who once migrated from North IndiaNorth IndiaNorth India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. In a genetic study, all individuals examined among Vadakalai Iyengars showed a high similarity of gene frequency with the people of Faislabad in the Punjab provincePunjab (Pakistan)Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
. The Vadakalai community believes in the caste system, and championed the cause of purity of the vedic tenetsVedic scienceVedic science may refer to a number of disciplines: ancient and modern, scientific and unscientific, religious, metaphysical, Hindu, occultist, New Age, proto-scientific, or pseudoscientific found in or based on the Vedas.Vedic period...
. Traditionally, the Vadakalais believe in practising Karma yogaKarma YogaKarma yoga , or the "discipline of action" is a form of yoga based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action...
, Jnana yogaJnana yogaJyâna yoga or "path of knowledge" is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies...
and Bhakti yogaBhakti yogaBhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
, along with Prapatti, as means to attain salvation. Also, they consider Prapatti as an act of winning grace. The various Vadaklai monasteries are - Ahobila Mutt, Parakala Mutt, Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashramam and Poundarikapuram Andavan Ashramam.
- The Thenkalai Iyengar community follows the Tamil Prabandhams, and asserts primacy to rituals in Tamil languageTamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. They are followers of Ramanuja, Pillailokacharya and Manavala Mamuni. According to genetic studies, the Thenkalai gene frequencies are distinctly different from that of the Vadakalais. The Thenkalais reject the caste system. The Thenkalai society has also accepted a significant proportion of the non-Brahmin population into its fold. The sect seems to be liberal in its outlook, and so shapes the doctrine of the system as to make them applicable to non-Brahmin castes. Traditionally, Thenkalai accept Prapatti as the only means to attain salvation. They consider Prapatti as an unconditional surrender. The various Thenkalai monasteries are - Vanamamalai mutt and Sriperumdur mutt in Kanchipuram district and Tirukkoilur mutt in Viluppuram district.
External links
- www.antaryami.net Sri Vaishnava News Network
- Nathamuni-Alavandar.org Dedicated to Shriman Nathamungal and Shri Alavandar
- General information
- Site for Sri Vaishnava Prayers