Questions tagged [vaishnavism]
Vaishnavism is one of the branches of Hinduism with followers worshiping lord Vishnu as the greatest or supreme god
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Do any commentators of Brahmasūtras other than Ādi Śaṅkarācārya disagree with both Pañcarātra and Śaiva Āgamas?
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedānta school, which bases its tenets on the doctrines laid out in the Brahma Sūtras, a work by the sage Vyāsa ...
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What are the different Vaishnava interpretations on the nature of Lord Vishnu's physical form?
I understand that Lord Vishnu's body is aprakrita, composed of sat-chit-ananda, but is it understood to have a physical reality? i.e. four arms, two legs, one head, two eyes, five fingered hands, ie, ...
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Where is this Srimad Bhagavatam verse about the different forms of Moksha?
According to Vaishnavism, there are six kinds of liberation from Samsara (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). They're each defined in relation to Vishnu, since Vaishnavas consider Vishnu to be ...
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What surviving works of the Rudra Sampradayam are there before Vallabhacharya?
As I discuss in my question here, Vishnu is said to have taught the principles of Vaishnavism to four disciples: Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva and Sanatkumara. And in turn they started the four main ...
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What happened to Vishnu's incarnation Narayana after his Pancharatra Yagna?
As I discuss in this answer, one of the most prominent incarnations of Vishnu in ancient times was the sage Narayana, twin brother of the sage Nara and son of Yama god of death. Nara and Narayana ...
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Why God Imprisoned us here?
I understand from vedic scriptures that God created the souls and gave free will in the spiritual world, but the souls denied God's love and become materialistic. So Inorder to teach the souls a ...
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What is the Nyaya argument for Karma being the instrumental cause of the Universe?
The Agama Pramanya is a work by the famous Sri Vaishnava Acharya Yamunacharya arguing that the Pancharatra texts, which are foundational to mainstream Vaishnavism as I discuss here, are legitimate ...
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Did Vishnuswami write a commentary on the Brahma Sutras?
As I discuss in my question here, Vishnu is said to have taught the principles of Vaishnavism to four disciples: Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva and Sanatkumara. And they in turn started the four main ...
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What does Lord Shiva mean when he says there are 5 gurus in Vaishnava tradition?
In Kularnava Tantra. Chapter 13, Lord Shiva talks about guru and his characteristics. He says following verse :
śaive gurutrayaṃ proktaṃ vaiṣṇave guru pañcakaṃ
vedaśāstreṣu sataso gururekaṃ ...
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What was the debate where Ramanandi tradition defeated Ramanuja tradition in 1921 Ujjain Kumbh mela?
From wiki
The 1921 Simhastha is notable for a historic debate in which the Ramanandi Sampradaya defeated the Ramanuja sampradaya (Shri Vaishnavas). The debate was to address the question whether ...
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What scriptures describe Vishnu's Mukta-damodara-bandana?
As I discuss in this question, the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I am a member) places great importance on the Divya Desams, the 108 sacred places of Vishnu which are mentioned in the poems of the ...
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Who is sage Jalabimba and what is his connection to Vishnuswami and the Rudra Sampradayam?
As I discuss in my question here, Vishnu is said to have taught the principles of Vaishnavism to four disciples: Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva and Sanatkumara. And in turn they started the four main ...
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Is the Satvata Samhita, the oldest Pancharatra text, available online in English?
Before the time of the sage Vyasa, people had a very different understanding of which gods were important than the understanding we have today. The Vedic mantras had not yet been compiled into the ...
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How does Vedanta Desikan interpret Ramanujacharya’s statement about Brihaspati’s brother Samvarta?
The Satadhusani is a work by the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan consisting of 100 refutations of Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy of Advaita. One chapter of the work is devoted to refuting the ...
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What scriptures describing holding breath for hours before chanting the Sahasrakshi Mantra?
The Sri Vaishnava sect is divided into two sub-sexts, Thenkalais and Vadakalais. One of the issues they disagree on is whether the chanting of the Pranavam in the Ashtakshari Mantra requires ...
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What were the salient features of Ekayana Vaishnavism (Kashmiri Vaishnavism)?
Kashmir was once a hub of Sanskrit and Indian philosophies or traditions like Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Buddhism etc. In ancient times, a tradition called Kashmiri Vaishnavism also flourished which was ...
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What is the story of Dattatreya defending the Vedas?
The Sankalpa Suryodaya is an allegorical play composed by the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan. In this excerpt from the Sankalpa Suryodaya, a character representing Vedanta Desikan tells a ...
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What are the four forms of Vishnu mentioned by Krishna in the Drona Parva?
On the 12th day of the Mahabharata war, Narakasura's son Bhagadatta, who was fighting on the Kaurava side, launched the Vaishnavastra or weapon of Vishnu at Arjuna, but Krishna covered Arjuna and ...
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Lost Sri Vaishanva Literature/Works
How many or I can say which Sri Vaishnava works(literature) are lost or exist as citations in other literature?
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Liberation according to dual (Dvait) or semi dual (Vishishta Advait) schools is temporary?
Short Question (or say subset of below longer question - Just to make long question easier to understand) -
Will Vaikuntha be ever over populated by liberated souls? If not, Lord Vishnu is not ...
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Are there any low-caste Vaikhanasa priests?
I recently learned that the priest of the Vishnu temple in my native village of Poondi is a low-caste person. The notion of a low-caste person serving in a temple didn't surprise me, since in the Sri ...
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What Vedanta philosophy is followed in Utkaliya Vaishnava of Mahapurusha Achyutananda of Odisha?
Achyutananda (and the other four saints) believed in a concept of God (Vishnu) as Shunya (emptiness, void, zero) called Shunya Purusha and/or Shunya Brahman. This shunya signifies a transcendental ...
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Which Divya Prabandham commentators discussed this Kishkindha Kanda verse?
In the beginning of the Kishkindha Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, Rama and Lakshmana reach the banks of the lake Pampa, and Rama laments as all the beautiful things he sees around him reminds of Sita, ...
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Why is the greatest Vaishnava a Tamasic entity per Vaishnavites?
there is a famous verse in Srimad Bhagavatam, a "satvika" purana, that says
Just as Ganga among rivers, Achyuta among gods, Shambu among Vaishnavas, This (Bhagavatam) is the same among Puranas.
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Where does Vedanta Desikan lament not being a priest in the Varadaraja Perumal temple?
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya. My question is ...
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Was Nathamuni originally an Ekadandi Sanyasi?
The Satadhusani is a work by the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan consisting of 100 refutations of Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy of Advaita. One chapter of the work is devoted to refuting ...
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Did Ramanujacharya perform Sharanagati in Madhurantakam?
The Gadya Trayam is a set of three prose hymns composed by the famous Sri Vaishnava Acharya Ramanujacharya on the subject of Sharanagati or complete surrender to Vishnu as a means of attaining Moksha. ...
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Who is Vijayavalli, wife of the Sudarshana Chakra?
I just performed a Griha Pravesam, the Hindu house warming ceremony, and I noticed an interesting Mantra that the priest chanted. The Mantra, which I assume was from the Pancharatra Agamas, was ...
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Was Vishnu's Vyuha form Sankarshana a commentator on the Devata Kanda Sutras?
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school, which bases its tenets on the doctrines laid out in the Brahma Sutras, a work by the sage Vyasa ...
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Who are the Visaraga Yogis condemned by the Vaikhanasas?
As I discuss in this answer, one of the early movements that was important to the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts consisted of detailed procedures ...
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Is the Vaikhanasa commentary on the Brahma Sutras available in English?
As I discuss in this answer, one of the early movements that was important in the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts consisted of detailed procedures ...
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What are the Pratishthasara and Vijnanalalita Agamas of Vaishnavism?
As I discuss in this answer, Hindu scripture is made up of two categories, Shruti or that which is heard from the gods, and Smriti or that which is composed by humans authors and passed down from ...
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Where does Nammalwar say that he was born right after Krishna departed the Earth?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their poetry in praise of Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems, known as ...
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Who was the first Sri Vaishnava Acharya to quote from the Srimad Bhagavatam?
Among the eighteen Mahapuranas, perhaps the most popular one among Vaishnavas today is the Bhagavata Purana, AKA the Srimad Bhagavatam. Yet Ramanujacharya, the most prominent member of the Sri ...
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Why do Vadakalai Sri Vaishnavas believe that Advaita liberation is not eternal?
Members of the Sri Vaishnava sect of Hinduism, especially the Iyengars (Sri Vaishnavas who are Brahmanas), are divided into two sub-sects, Thenkalais and Vadakalais. These two sub-sects both agree on ...
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What is the Ekayana sect criticized by Pillai Lokacharya's father?
By far the most famous commentary on Nammalwar's Thiruvaimozhi is the Eedu, aka the 36000 Padi, which was composed by the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai, father of Pillai Lokacharya. ...
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How does the Ramanandi sect originate from the Sri Vaishnava Parampara?
As I discuss in this question, Vishnu is said to have taught the principles of Vaishnavism to four gods: Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva and Sanatkumara. And they in turn started the four main Sampradayas or ...
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What is the earliest reference to the “yo vapyetam” verse of the Katha Upanishad?
The first chapter of the Katha Upanishad, in the recensions commented on by Adi Shankaracharya and Madhvacharya, has 29 verses. But the recension of the Katha Upanishad commented on by the Sri ...
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What is the scriptural basis for eternal hell as Madhvas believes?
Madhva doctrine believes in eternal hellish life for some souls. If I am not wrong, they believe in creation and destruction of this worlds. Then, What exactly is 'eternal' here? What is scriptural ...
user16895
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Does Pillai Lokacharya’s commentary on the Gadya Trayam still exist?
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya. My question is ...
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How do Vaishnavas interpret this verse from Padma Purana which seems to supports system of worship of five deities?
I found the following verse in Padma Purana, Uttara-Khanda in Karttika Mahatmya wherein Lord Krishna speaks to Satyabhama:
saivah sauras ca ganesa vaishnavah sakti-pujakah |
mam eva ...
user16618
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Where does the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Ghatikasatham Ammal discuss Radha?
Unlike the Gaudiya Vaishnava and Pushtimarga sects, the Sri Vaishnava does not place much emphasis on Krishna’s lover Radha. This is for multiple reasons. First of all, Sri Vaishnavas emphasize the ...
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Is Velukkudi Krishnan from a Swayamacharya lineage?
As I discuss in this question, the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member) is divided into two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Both Thenkalais and Vadakalais have Mathams, similar to the ...
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Which scriptures apart from the Pancharatra Agamas mention the Pancha Samskara ritual?
The Pancha-Samskara, also known as the Samasrayana, is a ritual practiced in almost all Vaishnava sects, especially in the Sri Vaishnava tradition where devotees declare their surrender to Shriman ...
user9969
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Which Vishnu temples do Thailakappu at irregular times?
I'm currently visiting India, and I'm trying to visit as many Vishnu temples as possible. Unfortunately I'm being stymied in some places, for the following reason. Some time in the December-January ...
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Is Bhagavan Krishna's sister a Nityasuri?
Many of us are familiar with the story of Bhagavan Krishna's birth. Specifically, when Kamsa finally arrives to kill the eighth child of Vasudeva and Devaki, the child who has taken Krishna's place, ...
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How does the Vishnuswami sect differ from the Pushtimarg sect in philosophies and practices?
It is said Vishnu taught Vaishnavism to his prime devotees: Lord Shiva, Mother Lakshmi, the four Kumaras and Lord Brahma. These devotees then in turn taught mankind the principles of Vishnu bhakti. As ...
user9969
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How was Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple wall constructed?
The task was assigned to Thurumangai alwar who was then a king turned to thief. He constructed the temple wall by acquiring a gold Buddha idol from srilanka.
Anyone knows the story how he brought ...
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What references are there to Vamana's ancient Tika on the Brahma Sutras?
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school, which bases its tenets on the doctrines laid out in the Brahma Sutras, a work by the sage Vyasa ...
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Who started the practice of Sadagopam?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their devotional poetry in praise of Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems, ...
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