Leena Watts
Vaishnavism, also known as Vishnuism, is a major Hindu tradition that considers Vishnu as the supreme being. Followers of Vaishnavism are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas, and the tradition includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. The origins of Vaishnavism are unclear, but it is believed to have started in the 7th or 8th century CE, with the two Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, presenting Vaishnava philosophy and culture embedded in legends and dialogues. The tradition has various philosophical foundations and texts, with devotees worshipping Vishnu and following specific dietary and ritual practices.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Start of Vaishnavism | Between 5th and 10th century CE |
| Major Hindu tradition | Vaishnavism |
| Supreme deity | Vishnu |
| Followers | Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas |
| Sub-sects | Krishnaism and Ramaism |
| Number of followers | 399 million Hindus (2020 estimate) |
| Diet | Vegetarianism |
| Texts | Paushkara Samhita, Sattvata Samhita, Jayakhya Samhita, Lakshmi Tantra, Ahirbudhnya Samhita |
| Calendar | Includes days of feasting and fasting |
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What You'll Learn
- Vaishnavism's ancient emergence is unclear, but it is one of the major Hindu traditions
- The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism started in the 7th century
- Vaishnavism flourished in Tamil Nadu during the 7th to 10th centuries
- The Vaishnava calendar includes days of feasting and fasting
- Vaishnavism's core texts are dated to the 7th or 8th century CE and later
Vaishnavism's ancient emergence is unclear, but it is one of the major Hindu traditions
Vaishnavism, also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, with followers called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas. It considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being, with his incarnations (avatars) being Rama, Krishna, and other avatars. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, with inconsistent and scanty evidence. However, it is hypothesized to be a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with the worship of Vishnu.
Vaishnavism has four Vedanta schools of numerous denominations (sampradaya). These are the Vishishtadvaita school of Ramanuja, the Dvaita school of Madhvacharya, the Dvaitadvaita school of Nimbarkacharya, and the Shuddhadvaita of Vallabhacharya. The four sampradayas emerged in the early centuries of the 2nd millennium CE, influencing the Bhakti movement. The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism started in the 7th century and rapidly expanded after the 12th century.
Vaishnavism includes various sects and groups, such as the Sri Vaishnavism sampradaya associated with Ramanuja, which emphasizes monotheistic elements with goddess Lakshmi and god Vishnu considered inseparable equal divinities. The Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Chaitanya, on the other hand, is closer to polymorphic bi-monotheism, with both goddess Radha and god Krishna considered supreme. The Warkari-tradition, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra, includes a duty-based approach to life, emphasizing moral behaviour, equality, and humanity for all.
The key texts in Vaishnavism include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Pancharatra (Agama) texts, Naalayira Divya Prabhandham, and the Bhagavata Purana. The two Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, also present Vaishnava philosophy and culture embedded in legends and dialogues. The Ramayana describes the story of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, and is considered the ideal king, based on dharma, morality, and ethics.
Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, with about 399 million followers according to a 2020 estimate by The World Religion Database (WRD) hosted at Boston University’s Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA).
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The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism started in the 7th century
The Bhakti movement, a significant religious movement in late medieval Hinduism, started in the 7th century CE. It originated in Tamilakam in present-day Tamil Nadu, India, and gained prominence through the poems and teachings of the Vaishnava Alvars and Shaiva Nayanars. These poets and saints played a significant role in propagating the Bhakti movement. The Alvars were devotees of Lord Vishnu, while the Nayanars were devotees of Lord Shiva. The Bhakti movement was a tendency in Hinduism that emphasised complete devotion to God, with the understanding that individuals can realise God through devotion and personal effort, rather than rituals. This movement sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society, preaching against the caste system and using local languages to spread its message widely.
The Bhakti movement regionally developed around different Hindu gods and goddesses, with sub-sects such as Vaishnavism (Vishnu), Shaivism (Shiva), Shaktism (Shakti goddesses), and Smartism. Vaishnavism, one of the major Hindu traditions, considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being, with sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as supreme beings, respectively. The Warkari-tradition of Vaishnavism, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra, includes a duty-based approach to life, emphasising moral behaviour, equality, and humanity for all, rejecting caste-based discrimination, and advocating a strict lacto-vegetarian diet.
The Bhakti movement in medieval Hinduism empowered the underbelly of Indian society and provided an impetus for the growth of vernacular literature. It contributed significantly to the development of current Indian languages like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati. The movement's adherents disregarded the caste system, promoting equality and sharing meals in a group. It also encouraged harmony among different segments of society and religion, elevating the position of women and discouraging harmful practices like 'Sati'.
The Bhakti movement's influence extended beyond medieval India, with evidence of Bhakti trends in ancient Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia and Indonesia, introduced by upper-caste Tamil Hindu nobles and merchants. It also spread to China, with evidence of Bhakti motifs in 8th-century Chinese inscriptions and temples. The movement's ideas of devotion and surrender to God were not limited to Hinduism, as they can be found in medieval-era Bhakti traditions among non-theistic Indian religions such as Buddhism and Jainism.
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Vaishnavism flourished in Tamil Nadu during the 7th to 10th centuries
Vaishnavism, one of the major Hindu traditions, considers Vishnu as the supreme being. It includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings, respectively. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, but it is documented in ancient Tamil Sangam literature dating back to the 5th century BCE.
Vaishnavism flourished in predominantly Shaivite Tamil Nadu during the 7th to 10th centuries CE. This was due to the influence of the twelve Alvars, who were poet-saints and devotees of Perumal (a form of Vishnu). They spread the sect to the common people with their devotional hymns and established temple sites such as Srirangam. Their poems, compiled as the Divya Prabandha, developed into influential scriptures for the Vaishnavas. The Bhakti movement, which originated among the Vaishnavas of South India during the 7th century CE, gained wide acceptance throughout India by the 15th century.
The Alvars appeared between the 5th and 10th centuries CE, and their devotional writings are key texts in the Bhakti movement. Their poems praised the Divya Desams, the 108 "abodes" (temples) of the Vaishnava deities. The collection of their hymns is known as the Divya Prabandha, or Naalayira Divya Prabandha, which includes 4000 divine verses in praise of Vishnu and Krishna in the Tamil language. The Bhakti movement started in the 7th century but rapidly expanded after the 12th century.
Sri Vaishnavism, which developed in Tamilakam in the 10th century, incorporated two different traditions: the tantric Pancaratra tradition and the Puranic Vishnu worship of northern India. Its most influential leader was Ramanuja (1017-1137), who developed the "Vishistadvaita" ("qualified non-dualism") philosophy. Ramanuja challenged the dominant Advaita Vedanta interpretation of the Upanishads and Vedas and formulated the foundations of Sri Vaishnavism from Vedanta.
Vaishnavism in the 10th century started to employ Vedanta arguments, possibly continuing an older tradition of Vishnu-oriented Vedanta. Many early Vaishnava scholars such as Nathamuni, Yamunacharya, and Ramanuja contested Adi Shankara's Advaita interpretations and proposed Vishnu bhakti ideas.
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The Vaishnava calendar includes days of feasting and fasting
Vaishnavism, also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, considering Vishnu as the supreme being. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, but scholars place the start of Vaishnava religious texts to about the 7th or 8th century CE. The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism, of which Vaishnavism is a part, started in the 7th century but rapidly expanded after the 12th century.
The Vaishnava calendar includes days of fasting and feasting. For instance, the Warkari tradition within Vaishnavism includes fasting on Ekadashi day (twice a month). The Hare Krishna Vaishnava calendar also mentions fasting on Ekadasi, which means fasting from grains for the whole day until 9 am the following day. The calendar lists several dates for fasting, such as the appearance of Sri Sri Nityananda Prabhu on 10 February, and the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura on 6 July. The Vaishnava calendar also mentions feasting, such as the Sri Visvarupa Mahotsava on 18 September.
Fasting on Ekadasi is observed by eating fruit, vegetables, and so on, and then broken the following day by taking grains. If one has observed a complete fast (without even water), it can be broken with caranamrita or fruit. On fasting days, one should eat simply once or twice, so as to spend as much time as possible hearing, chanting, and remembering Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. On these days, one must never eat meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic, carrots, lentils, mushrooms, or products thereof. Instead, one can eat fruits, nuts, oils made from nuts, potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, radish, squash, lemon, avocado, and so on.
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Vaishnavism's core texts are dated to the 7th or 8th century CE and later
The core texts of Vaishnavism are dated to the 7th or 8th century CE and later. The Bhakti movement, which emphasised a felt connection with Vishnu or Krishna, rather than traditional Hindu rituals, originated among Vaishnavas in South India during the 7th century CE. The movement spread throughout India by the 15th century.
The three most studied texts of Vaishnavism are the Paushkara Samhita, Sattvata Samhita, and Jayakhya Samhita. Other important Pancaratra texts include the Lakshmi Tantra and Ahirbudhnya Samhita. The two Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, also present Vaishnava philosophy and culture embedded in legends and dialogues. The epics are considered the fifth Veda in Hindu culture.
The Pāñcarātra Samhitas developed from the 7th or 8th century onwards and are associated with the Agamic or Tantric traditions, differing from Vedic orthodoxy. The worship of Vishnu described in these texts is still followed by Vishnu worshippers in South India. The texts also influenced the Sri Vaishnava tradition, with its founder, Ramanuja, propagating Pāñcarātra ideas.
The key texts of Vaishnavism include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Pancharatra (Agama) texts, Naalayira Divya Prabhandham, and the Bhagavata Purana. The Bhagavata Purana describes Krishna as a transcendent, Supreme Being and the source of all avatars. The songs of the Alvars, a group of Vaishnava poet-saints, are housed in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. This collection of 4,000 songs expresses the Alvars' devotion to Vishnu and Krishna and is considered sacred within the tradition.
The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, with inconsistent and scanty evidence. However, the popularity of Vaishnavism can be attributed to various factors, including the spread of Sanskrit texts across India and the development of local vernacular texts of passionate devotion.
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Frequently asked questions
The exact origins of Vaishnavism are unclear, but it is one of the major Hindu traditions and denominations. Vaishnavism can be traced back to the 7th or 8th century CE, with some evidence of worship in the Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Vaishnavism considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being, with his incarnations Rama and Krishna also worshipped. The tradition includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. Vaishnavism also includes the worship of poet-saints and theologians, and the goddess Lakshmi is considered a supreme deity alongside Vishnu in some traditions.
Vaishnavism emphasizes vegetarianism and non-violence, with some sub-traditions like the Warkari movement strictly avoiding alcohol and tobacco. The community prescribes to the Sanskrit dictum "ahimsa paramo dharmah", meaning non-violence is the highest virtue. However, some historical accounts suggest that Bengali Vaishnavas consumed fish, considering it a vegetarian option.
The three most studied Vaishnava texts are the Paushkara Samhita, Sattvata Samhita, and Jayakhya Samhita. Other important texts include the Lakshmi Tantra and Ahirbudhnya Samhita. The Naalayira Divya Prabandha, a collection of 4000 devotional hymns to Vishnu and Krishna in the Tamil language, is also significant.
Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, with around 399 million followers according to a 2020 estimate. It is prevalent in almost every part of India, and its influence has spread beyond, with evidence of worship in countries like Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan.
