Synonyms : Vaishnavism, Vaisnavism, Vishnuism
Religion : Hindu
Chief Deity : Lord Vishnu and his avatars - Ram, Krishna
Religious Text : Bhagavad Gita is the main religious text of the Vaishnavas and the source of many of their beliefs. Besides, six of the eighteen Puranas are traditionally considered as Vaishnava, of these the Vishnu Purana is one of the oldest (c. fifth century CE) and most important. Also, seventeen of the Upanishads are regarded as Vaishnava.
Time of Origin : 6th to the 5th centuries BCE
Population : Hundreds of millions of Hindus can be described as Vaishnavas, though they may be divided into the many sects.
Food Habits : Most Vaishnavs are vegetarian and even reject eggs and certain plant products grown under the soil, like onions, garlic, etc.
About Vaishnavas : Vaishnavism is one of the principal divisions of Hinduism. Its adherents worship Lord Vishnu or one of his avatars as the supreme God. Hence, Vaishnavism is principally monotheistic whilst also incorporating elements which could be described as pantheistic in nature. Worshippers of Lord Vishnu are called Vaishnavites. The Hare Krishna movement is a modern example of a Vaishnavite organisation.
Vaishnav Philosophy : The endless search for Sri Vishnu is known as Vaishnavism. Vaishnavism sees the divinity of God in each and every creature and prostrates before all with humbleness, serves all and thinks for the good of all. There are many branches and sub-branches of Vaishnavism. The texts such as Vedas, Upanishads, Narad Pancharatna, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Purana, Tantra and many other texts speak of the antiquity of Vaishnavism.
Major Vaishnava Schools of Thoughts
- Vishishtadvaita ("qualified nondualism"), espoused by Ramanuja; i.e., Srivaishnavism.
- Dvaita ("dualism"), espoused by Madhvacharya
- Achintya Bheda-Bheda, espoused by Shri Chaitanya adhered by Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
- ISKCON ("Hare Krishnas") is the most well known branch of this school.
- Shuddhaadvaita, espoused by Vallabhacharya
- Dvaitaadvaita, espoused by Nimbarka
- Ek Saran Naam Dharma, espoused by Sankardeva
History of Vaishnavism : The ancient name of Vaishnavism was Satvat dharma. Thanks to Alvars, a set of twelve people who with their devotional hymns spread the sect to the common people, Vaishnavism flourished in south India. Some of the prominent azhvars are Poigaiyazhvar, Peyazhvar, Periyazhvar, Nammazhvar and Andal. Vaishnavism grew in later years due to the influence of sages like Ramanujar, Surdas, Tulsidas, Tyagaraja, etc.
With the entry of other religions into the Indian subcontinent, Hindus united and the discriminations of Vaishnavism and Shaivism became intellectual arguments rather than mutually exclusive philosophies.
