Vaishnavas worship Vishnu, or Krishna and his avataras (especially Rama) as the supreme deity. This is the largest denomination. Vaishnava sampradayas: Madhvas - followers of Madhavacharya Shri Vaishnavas, followers of Ramanujacharya Rudra Vaishnavas, followers of Vallabhacharya Nimbarka Vaishnavas Gaudiya Vaishnavism, followers of Chaitanya Mahaprab ...

See also:

Hindu denominations, Hindu denominations - Basic overview, Hindu denominations - Vaishnavism, Hindu denominations - Śaivism, Hindu denominations - Shaktism, Hindu denominations - Smartha sect, Hindu denominations - Newer denominations, Hindu denominations - Agama Hindu Dharma

Read more here: » Hindu denominations: Encyclopedia II - Hindu denominations - Vaishnavism

Vaishnava Vaisnava (Sanskrit) A follower of any sect recognizing and worshiping Vishnu as the sectarian supreme divinity. There are at present four principal Vaishnava sects: the Ramanujas founded by Ramanujacharya; the Madhvas founded by Madhva; the Vallabhas or Vallabhacharyas founded by Vallabhacharya; and a sect in Bengal founded by Chaitanya.

Other minor sects are those founded by Ramananda and Kabir. All these Vaishnava sects are of relatively modern origin, though they use at least some of the ancient Hindu writings as their texts.

(See also: Vaishnava, Vaisnava, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Vaishnava (Sanskrit). A follower of any sect recognising and worshipping Vishnu as the one supreme God. The worshippers of Siva are called Saivas.

(See also: Vaishnava, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Dadu Panthis: The Dadu Panthis form one of the Vaishnava cults. Dadu, the founder of this sect, was a disciple of one of the Kabir Panthi teachers. The followers worship the Lord Rama.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Dadu Panthis: Hindu Sects and Cults - Dadu Panthis

Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (Bengal) Vaishnavism, is a sect of Hinduism founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya is the disciplic succession following this particular type of Vaishnavism (and Vaishnava Theology), which worships Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Gaudiya Vaishnavism - Gaudiya and other Vaishnava schools: main theological differences. Krishna is the original form of God, the source of Vishnu and not His avatar. This teaching - shared by Nimbar ...

Including:

• Gaudiya Vaishnavism - Gaudiya and other Vaishnava schools: main theological differences
• Gaudiya Vaishnavism - Modern times
• Gaudiya Vaishnavism - Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations

Read more here: » Gaudiya Vaishnavism: Encyclopedia - Gaudiya Vaishnavism

In Hinduism, Balarama (phonetically Balarāma - his other names include Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha) is the name of the elder brother of Sri Krishna. Most South Indian Hindu sects and some Vaishnava sects based in eastern India regard Balarama as being the ninth avatar of Vishnu. In either tradition, Balarama is acknowledged as being a manifestation of Adis ...

Including:

• Balarama - Appearance
• Balarama - Pastimes
• Balarama - Disappearance

Read more here: » Balarama: Encyclopedia - Balarama

The Chaitanya Charitamrita is the magnum-opus of the Bengali saint/author Krishna Dasa Kaviraja (1496-? CE). The book, a hybrid Bengali and Sanskrit biography, documents the life and precepts of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 – 1533), who is considered by his followers to be an incarnation of Radha and Krishna combined. Chaitanya is a pivotal figure of the Hindu sect Gaudiya Vaishnavism. As a religious text, the Chaitanya Charitamrita is the main theological resource for Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology and is divid ...

Including:

• Chaitanya Charitamrita - Adi-lila
• Chaitanya Charitamrita - Madhya-lila
• Chaitanya Charitamrita - Antya-lila
• Chaitanya Charitamrita - Composition of the Chaitanya Charitamrita
• Chaitanya Charitamrita - Chaitanya Charitamrita Edition of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Read more here: » Chaitanya Charitamrita: Encyclopedia - Chaitanya Charitamrita

Vallabhacharya (1479 - 1531) was the founder of the Vallabha sect in Indian philosophy. He called his system of thought Shuddhadvaita (pure monism). Vallabhacharya - Everything is Krishna's Leela. According to the version of Vaishnava Theology he espoused; the glorious Krishna in His sat-chid-ananda form is the Absolute Brahman. He is permanently playing out His sport (leela) from His seat in the goloka which is even beyond the divine Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu and Satya-loka, the abode of Brahma ...

Including:

• Vallabhacharya - Everything is Krishna's Leela
• Vallabhacharya - Grace the only path in Kali yuga
• Vallabhacharya - Atma-nivedana
• Vallabhacharya - Ashta-chaap

Read more here: » Vallabhacharya: Encyclopedia - Vallabhacharya

Vedanta Desika (1269 – 1370) is the second great name in Vaishnavism. He was a great poet, devotee, philosopher and master-teacher -- all in one. Passing away of Ramanuja in 1137 A.D. was followed by a period of sectarian split among the Sri Vaishnavas. By the end of the 14th century this turned up into a permanent division into two sects: Vadakalai (northern learning) and Tenkalai (southern learning). The followers of the former consider Sri Vedanta Desika as their proponent-Acharya. The followers of the latter consider Sri Manaval ...

Including:

• Vedanta Desika - Life
• Vedanta Desika - Works
• Vedanta Desika - Desika means Vedanta Desika
• Vedanta Desika - Greatness of Desika’s Writings
• Vedanta Desika - The eight-lettered mantra
• Vedanta Desika - Transcendence and Immanence of God
• Vedanta Desika - Prapatti
• Vedanta Desika - Paduka-Sahasram A Magnum Opus
• Vedanta Desika - Eulogy of Divine Sandals
• Vedanta Desika - '''Sri Sthuthi''

Read more here: » Vedanta Desika: Encyclopedia - Vedanta Desika

Guy Beck, a well published scholar on Hinduism in general, and on Krishna in particular, has published on the Krishnology of the Vaishnava sect known as the Radha-vallabha Sampradaya. Dr. Beck expounds upon this research in his book Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity. Through this research he establishes the Krishnology of the Radhavallabha sampradaya. Tamala Krishna Gosvami, a Hindu studies scholar and Vaishnava guru, elaborated on this term during his research at the University of Cambri ...

See also:

Krishnology, Krishnology - Recent Scholarship, Krishnology - Intra-Denominational, Krishnology - Krishna Centered Vaishnava Theological Discourse, Krishnology - Academic Papers

Read more here: » Krishnology: Encyclopedia II - Krishnology - Recent Scholarship

Vaishnavas believe that Vishnu-Narayana is the one supreme God and all other gods and creatures are subservient to Him. All of the sects mentioned above except the last fall under this group. Advaita Vashnavas believe that no soul is actually separated from God, and that every soul is ultimately one and the same. Thus each soul could be considered as equally divine. Thus Vishnu in the saguna (with attributes) form is characterized by harmony and perfection. But in nirguna (without attributes) form, He is in a state ...

See also:

Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism - Schools of Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism - The Major Schools, Vaishnavism - The Supreme Godhead, Vaishnavism - History of Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism - Vaishnava Upanishads

Read more here: » Vaishnavism: Encyclopedia II - Vaishnavism - The Major Schools

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 Saivism became intellectual ...

See also:

Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism - Schools of Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism - The Major Schools, Vaishnavism - The Supreme Godhead, Vaishnavism - History of Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism - Vaishnava Upanishads

Read more here: » Vaishnavism: Encyclopedia II - Vaishnavism - History of Vaishnavism

Prominent Smarta communities of South India include Sirinadu community who have their origins from Mysore in Karnataka, the Iyer community of Tamil Nadu, the Namboothiri community of Kerala, and the vaidiki Mulukanadu, Vaidiki Velanadu, vaidike Badaganadu, Vaidiki Telanganya, Babboor Kamme, Sankethi, Hoysala Kannada, Kota, Arvel Niyogi and Gaud Saraswat communities of Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, among many others. Communities like the Sri Vaishnavas, Madhwas and Veera Saivas are some of the other Hindu sects which ...

See also:

Smartism, Smartism - Definition, Smartism - Distinction from others, Smartism - Main beliefs, Smartism - Contributions to advaita, Smartism - Contributions to other philosophies, Smartism - Smartas who split away from their group, Smartism - Religious texts, Smartism - Prominent communities, Smartism - Swaminarayana sect view similar to Smarta view

Read more here: » Smartism: Encyclopedia II - Smartism - Prominent communities

Besides the ten traditional avatars of Hinduism, some other Indian Hindus are considered to be avatars by themselves or by others. Some of these include: Chaitanya (1486-1534) is claimed to be an avatar of Krishna by the Gaudiya Vaishnavism sect. He is also known as the 'Golden Avatar'. His appearance is predicted in the latter texts of the Srimad Bhagavatam. For more information, see Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology. Ayya Vaikundar (1809-1851) According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the religious book of Ayyavazhi, Lord Vaikunda ...

See also:

Avatar, Avatar - Teachings and significance, Avatar - The ten Avatars or Dasavatara, Avatar - The 24 Avatars of the Puranas, Avatar - Types of avatars, Avatar - The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?, Avatar - Symbolism, Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars, Avatar - Other Uses

Read more here: » Avatar: Encyclopedia II - Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars

Contemporary Hinduism traditionally has four major divisions, Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smarthism. According to Adherents.com there are 580,000,000 Vaishnavas, 220,000,000 Shaivites and 22,000,000 neo-Hindus and reform Hindus. Hinduism is a very rich and complex religion. Each of its four denominations shares rituals, beliefs, traditions and personal Gods with one another, but each sect has a different philosophy on how to achieve life's ultimate goal (moksa, liberation) and on their views of the Gods. E ...

See also:

Hindu deities, Hindu deities - Trimurti, Hindu deities - Popular gods, Hindu deities - Denominations of Hinduism, Hindu deities - Polytheistic gods, Hindu deities - Smartism, Hindu deities - The Trinity, Hindu deities - Vedic Deities, Hindu deities - The 10 Avatars of Vishnu, Hindu deities - The 'Hidden' Avatar, Hindu deities - Relatives, Hindu deities - Mother goddesses

Read more here: » Hindu deities: Encyclopedia II - Hindu deities - Denominations of Hinduism

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (called mahatma meaning spiritual one; soulful one; man of soul) was born into a Hindu Modh family in Porbandar, Gujarat, India in 1869. He was the son of Karamchand Gandhi, the diwan (Chief Minister) of Porbandar, and Putlibai, Karamchand's fourth wife, a Hindu of the vaishnava sect. Growing up with a devout Vaishnava mother and surrounded by the Jain influences of Gujarat, Gandhi learned from an early age the tenets of non-injury to living beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance between members of various creeds and sects. He w ...

See also:

Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi - Early Life, Mahatma Gandhi - Civil rights movement in South Africa 1893–1914, Mahatma Gandhi - Inspirations, Mahatma Gandhi - Personal Life, Mahatma Gandhi - Movement for India's Independence 1916–1945, Mahatma Gandhi - Champaran and Kheda, Mahatma Gandhi - Non-Cooperation Movement, Mahatma Gandhi - Simon Commission and Swaraj, Mahatma Gandhi - Salt Satyagraha and the Yeravda Pact, Mahatma Gandhi - 1930s: Accepting Power Conflict with Bose, Mahatma Gandhi - Do or Die: World War II and Quit India, Mahatma Gandhi - Freedom and Partition of India 1945–1947, Mahatma Gandhi - Post-Independence, Mahatma Gandhi - Assassination and Dying Words, Mahatma Gandhi - Gandhi's Vision and Principles, Mahatma Gandhi - Vision for India, Mahatma Gandhi - Nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi - Satya, Mahatma Gandhi - Vegetarianism, Mahatma Gandhi - Celibacy, Mahatma Gandhi - Silence, Mahatma Gandhi - Simple living, Mahatma Gandhi - Religion, Mahatma Gandhi - Faith, Mahatma Gandhi - The Leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi - Modern criticism, Mahatma Gandhi - Recognition, Mahatma Gandhi - Mahatma, Mahatma Gandhi - Artistic depictions, Mahatma Gandhi - Commemorations Beyond India, Mahatma Gandhi - References for the article on Mahatma Gandhi

Read more here: » Mahatma Gandhi: Encyclopedia II - Mahatma Gandhi - Early Life

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (called mahatma meaning "spiritual one; soulful one; man of soul") was born into a Hindu Modh family in Porbandar, Gujarat, India in 1869. He was the son of Karamchand Gandhi, the diwan (Chief Minister) of Porbandar, and Putlibai, Karamchand's fourth wife, a Hindu of the Vaishnava sect. Growing up with a devout Vaishnava mother and surrounded by the Jain influences of Gujarat, Gandhi learned from an early age the tenets of non-injury to living beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance between members of various creeds and sects. He was born ...

See also:

Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi - Early Life, Mahatma Gandhi - Civil rights movement in South Africa 1893–1914, Mahatma Gandhi - Inspirations, Mahatma Gandhi - Personal Life, Mahatma Gandhi - Movement for India's Independence 1916–1945, Mahatma Gandhi - Champaran and Kheda, Mahatma Gandhi - Non-Cooperation Movement, Mahatma Gandhi - Simon Commission and Swaraj, Mahatma Gandhi - Salt Satyagraha and the Yeravda Pact, Mahatma Gandhi - 1930s: Accepting Power Conflict with Bose, Mahatma Gandhi - Do or Die: World War II and Quit India, Mahatma Gandhi - Freedom and Partition of India 1945–1947, Mahatma Gandhi - Post-Independence, Mahatma Gandhi - Assassination, Mahatma Gandhi - Gandhi's Vision and Principles, Mahatma Gandhi - Vision for India, Mahatma Gandhi - Nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi - Satya, Mahatma Gandhi - Vegetarianism, Mahatma Gandhi - Celibacy, Mahatma Gandhi - Silence, Mahatma Gandhi - Simple living, Mahatma Gandhi - Religion, Mahatma Gandhi - Faith, Mahatma Gandhi - The Leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi - Modern criticism, Mahatma Gandhi - Recognition, Mahatma Gandhi - Mahatma, Mahatma Gandhi - Artistic depictions, Mahatma Gandhi - Commemorations Beyond India, Mahatma Gandhi - References for the article on Mahatma Gandhi

Read more here: » Mahatma Gandhi: Encyclopedia II - Mahatma Gandhi - Early Life

Vallabacharya (Sanskrit). The name of a mystic who was the chela (disciple) of Vishnu Swami, and the founder of a sect of Vaishnavas. His descendants are called Goswami Maharaj, and have much landed property and numerous mandirs (temples) in Bombay. They have degenerated into a shamefully licentious sect.

(See also: Vallabacharya, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Madhwacharya:

Madhwacharya (Madhvaachaarya). 13th cent. exponent of dualist philosophy; lived in the South Indian court of Vijayanagar; author of Vedantic works; founder of a sect of Vaishnavas; refuted monism of Sankaracharya.

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

Chaitanya: (Sanskrit) A renowned Vaishnava saint (1485 - 1534), revered today especially in Bengal and Orissa, remembered for his ecstatic states of devotion.

He taught a dualistic philosophy in which bhakti (devotion) to the divine couple Radha and Krishna is the only means to liberation. Practice revolves mainly around kirtana, devotional singing and dancing. He gave prominence to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, of which several branches thrive today, including ISKCON. See: Krishna, Vaishnavism, Vedanta.

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