Vaishnava Dictionary

samhita: (Sanskrit) "Collection."

1)    Any methodically arranged collection of texts or verses.

2)    The hymn collection of each of the four Vedas.

3)    A common alternate term for Vaishnava Agamas.

See: Vedas.

(See also: Samhita , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Ramanuja (-acharya)

The founding acharya of one of the four Vaishnava sampradayas in Kali-yuga

(See also: Ramanuja , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vallabhacharyas Vallbhacaryas (Sanskrit) A Vaishnava sect founded by Vallabhacharya, a sectarian mystic said to have been the disciple of Vishnu-svamin, a celebrated teacher of his time. His followers are called Gosvami-maharajas and have a considerable amount of landed property and numerous temples in Bombay.

Vallabhacharya was born in the forest of Champaranya in 1479. At an early age he began traveling to propagate his doctrines, and at the court of Krishna-deva, king of Vijaya-nagara, succeeded so well in his controversies with the Saivas, according to the reports of his followers, that many Vaishnavas chose him as their chief. He then went to other parts of India, and finally settled at Benares, where he composed 17 works, the most important of which were commentaries on the Vedanta- and Mimansa-Sutras and another on the Bhagavata-Purana, on which this sect seems in the main to base their doctrines. He left 84 disciples.

He taught a non-ascetic view of religion and deprecated all self-mortification as dishonoring the body which contained a portion of the supreme spirit. His emphasis on human affections and emotions seems at times to fringe closely the frontiers of licentiousness.

(See also: Vallabhacharyas, Vallbhacaryas , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Bhaktivedanta Institute

an organization within ISKCON which conducts scientific research and education in accordance with the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy.

(See also: Bhaktivedanta Institute , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Garbadhana samskara:

Garbadhana samskara: purification ritual for procreation; with the vaishnava's: extra rounds of japa (50). First purification rite (samskara) of ten which determines all life of the Vedic person. It serves to get someone born in the spiritual sphere.

(See also: Garbadhana samskara , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Madhvacharya

The founding acharya of one of the four Vaishnava sampradayas in Kali-yuga. He appeared in the thirteenth century as a Karnataka brahmana, taught a strictly theistic version of Vedanta philosophy, vigorously opposed the Advaita-vada of Sankaracharya, and established the worship of Sri Krishna at Udupi.

(See also: Madhvacharya , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Ambarisha

A saintly Vaishnava king famous for using all his resources and bodily activities in devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Angered by a minor accidental fault of the king’s, the sage Durvasa tried to kill him, but Lord Vishnu sent the Sudarshana disc to attack Durvasa, who finally had to beg the king’s forgiveness.

(See also: Ambarisha , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

tridandi-bhikshu swami

a Vaishnava sannyasi who lives by begging.

(See also: tridandi-bhikshu swami , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

danda

a staff carried by Vaishnava sannyasis.

(See also: danda , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Surdas: (Sanskrit) Blind North-Indian Vaishnava poet (ca 1550), famous for his devotional hymns to Lord Krishna. His massive writing Sursagar, "Sur's Ocean," is widely read.

(See also: Surdas , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

parampara

An authorized Vaishnava disciplic succession. More ordinarily, any tradition.

(See also: parampara , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Mirabai: (Sanskrit) A Vaishnava saint (ca 1420), poetess and mystic, said to be a Rajput princess who abandoned the world in total surrender to Lord Krishna. Her life story and songs are popular today, especially in Gujarat.

(See also: Mirabai , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Madhva: (Sanskrit) South Indian Vaishnava saint (11971278) who expounded a purely dualistic (pluralistic) Vedanta in which there is an essential and eternal distinction between God, soul and world, and between all beings and things. He is also one of the few Hindus to have taught the existence of an eternal hell where lost souls would be condemned to suffer forever.

See: dvaitaadvaita, Vedanta.

(See also: Madhva , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bali

King of the Daitya demons, son of Virocana, and grandson of the great Vaishnava Prahlada. When Lord Vamana tricked Bali into donating three paces of land and then with two steps covered the universe, Bali achieved perfection by surrendering everything he had to the Lord.

(See also: Bali , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhagavata Purana

It is the fifth purana in length but is the most popular and influencial among the puranas. It is primarily a vaishnava text and is later to and influenced by the Visnupurana. As the name indicates, it describes some of the incarnations of Visnu and particularly that of Krsna. It is a marvellous bhakti work and includes the story of bhagavathas or devotees of the Lord.

"The metaphysical and spiritual legacy of the Vedas and the upanishads is ably synthesized with the agamic tradition of the pancaratras and embraced even non-aryan tribes in its fold."

-- G V Tagare, Ancient Indian Traditions and Mythology, Vol. 7

(See also: Bhagavata Purana , Hinduism, Vedic Scriptures, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Baladeva Vidyabhushana

A prominent scholarly acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya. He studied under Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti, by whose direction he composed Sri Govinda-bhashya, the Gaudiya commentary on Vedanta-sutra, in the first decades of the eighteenth century.

(See also: Baladeva Vidyabhushana , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Alvar: (Tamil) "One who rules the Lord through bhakti." A group of renowned saints of the Vaishnava religion (7th9th century), devotional mystics whose lives and teachings catalyzed to a resurgence of Vaishnavism in Tamil Nadu. Their devotional poems are embodied in the Nalayiram Divya Prabandham, containing about 4,000 hymns. Among the 12 most famous Alvars are Poykai, Pudam, Tirumalisai, Nammalvar, Kulashekhara, Andal, Tiruppan and Tirumangai. A term not to be confused with Nalvar, naming the four Samayacharya Saivite saints: Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikkavasagar, who were their contemporaries. See: Nalvar, Nayanar.

(See also: Alvar , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhaktivinoda Thakura

an acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession; the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

(See also: Bhaktivinoda Thakura , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

japa: (Sanskrit) "Incantation."

Practice of concentrated repetition of a mantra, often while counting the repetitions on a mala or strand of beads. It may be done silently or aloud. Sometimes known as mantra yoga.

A major sadhana in Hindu spiritual practice, from the simple utterance of a few names of God to extraordinary feats of repeating sacred syllables millions of times for years on end. It is recommended as a cure for pride and arrogance, anger and jealousy, fear and confusion. It harmonizes the doshas and quiets the vrittis. Filling the mind with divine syllables, awakening the divine essence of spiritual energies in the physical body, japa brings forth the amrita. For Saivites, Namah Sivaya in its various forms is the most treasured mantra used in japa. The mantra Hare- Rama-Hare-Krishna is among the foremost Vaishnava mantras.

Japa yoga is said to be of 14 kinds:

• daily (nitya),
• circumstantial (naimittika),
• the japa of desired results (kamya), f
• orbidden (nishiddha),
• penitential (prayashchitta),
• unmoving (achala),
• moving (chala),
• voiced (vachika),
• whispered (upanshu),
• bee, or murmured (bhramara),
• mental (manasa),
• uninterrupted (akhanda),
• nonuttered (ajapa) and
• circumambulatory (pradakshina).

See: amrita, mantra, yama-niyama, yoga.

(See also: Japa , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bilvamangala Thakura

A great Vaishnava poet, also known as Lilashuka. He was the author of Krishna-karnamrita, a book rediscovered and revered by Lord Chaitanya.

(See also: Bilvamangala Thakura , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Narada Sutra (Sutras): (Sanskrit) A Vaishnava text of 84 aphorisms in which Sage Narada explains bhakti yoga (ca 1200).

(See also: Narada Sutra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)