The Vaishnava Bhakti movement originated in South India between the 12th-15th century AD as a response to degradation in Hindu society. It advocated devotion to Vishnu as a simpler, more inclusive faith that could provide salvation to all castes. The movement spread across India through figures like the Alvars and emphasized bhakti, or devotion, particularly through worship of Vishnu and his avatars. It initiated social reforms by challenging the caste system and established the centrality of bhakti in Hindu religious life.

1. VAISHNAVITE MOVEMENT

2. • A social reform movement swept across India
between the 12th and 15th century A.D. It
was the Bhakti (devotional) movement based
on the liberal doctrine of bhakti or devotion. It
initiated new ideas even as it gave birth to
new faiths, which at some places of the
country took the shape of a revolution.

3. • The context of the new trend is rooted in the
societal degradation and cultural distortion
that plagued many parts of India at that time.
Under the corrupting influence of power and
wealth and the incipient ritualism that had
taken hold of the priestly and ruling classes of
the Hindu society, various malpractices were
committed in the name of religion, which
vitiated the social structure.

4. • These factors impelled the Hindu thinkers and
reformers of the day to evolve a simpler and
liberal faith that would be acceptable to all
alike. This set in motion what subsequently
came to be known as the Vaishnava Bhakti
movement, originally started by Alwars of
South India and which thereafter spread to
northern India and then to the eastern regions
of India.

5. • The Vaishnava Bhakti movement thus
encompassed the whole of India and thereby
brought about a renaissance in the socio-
religious life of the Indian people. By
propounding in general that divine grace could
be achieved through devotion, which was
open to all classes and castes, the movement
dispensed with the principle of birth, which
hitherto determined access to salvation
through knowledge and ritual.

6. • To that extent the movement initiated
structural changes in the socio-religious
sphere of the Hindu society and consequential
changes in its value system and equality of
relationships.

7. Principal beliefs
• Supreme God
• The principal belief of Vishnu-centered sects is
the identification of Vishnu or Narayana as the
one supreme God. This belief contrasts with
the Krishna-centered traditions, such as
Vallabha, Nimbaraka and Gaudiya, in which
Krishna is considered to be the One and only
Supreme God and the source of all avataras.

8. • The belief in the supremacy of Vishnu is based
upon the many Avatars (incarnations) of
Vishnu listed in the Puranic texts, which differs
from other Hindu deities such as Ganesha,
Surya or Durga. The latter are instead
classified as demi-gods or devas. Vaishnavites
consider Shiva, one of the Hindu Trimurti
(Trinity) as subservient to Vishnu, and a
Vaishnava himself.

9. • Lord Swaminarayan, founder of the
Swaminarayan faith, differs with this view and
holds that Vishnu and Shiva are different
aspects of the same God.

10. Worship
• Vaishnava theology includes the central beliefs
of Hinduism such as monotheism,
reincarnation, samsara, karma, and the
various Yoga systems, but with a particular
emphasis on devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu
through the process of Bhakti yoga, often
including singing Vishnu's name's (bhajan),
meditating upon his form (dharana) and
performing deity worship (puja).

11. • The practices of deity worship are primarily
based on texts such as Pañcaratra and various
Samhitas. Central to vaishnavism is the value
it gives to worshiping God's closest devotees,
such as the ancestral acharya, or spiritual
learned religious figurehead for a family, more
than God itself.

12. • Within their worship Vaishnava devotees
consider that Vishnu is within them, as the
Antaryami or the God within and as the
foundation of their being; which is a part of
the definition of the name Narayana.

13. • The difference between Vaishnavism and
schools of Hinduism whose goal is liberation
(moksha), or union with the Supreme
Brahman, is that the ultimate goal of
Vaishnava practice is an eternal life of bliss
(ananda) in service to Vishnu, or one of his
many avatars, in the spiritual realm of
'Vaikuntha', which lies beyond the temporary
world of illusion (maya).

14. • The three features of the Supreme as
described in the Bhagavata Purana--Brahman,
Paramatma and Bhagavan.Vaishnavis worship
Lord Vishnu and His Incarnations.

15. initiation
• Vaishnavas commonly follow a process of
initiation (diksha), given by a guru, under
whom they are trained to understand
Vaishnava practices. At the time of initiation,
the disciple is traditionally given a specific
mantra, which the disciple will repeat, either
out loud or within the mind, as an act of
worship to Vishnu or one of his avatars.

16. • The practice of repetitive prayer is known as
japa. The system of receiving initiation and
training from a guru is based on injunctions
throughout the scriptures held as sacred
within the Vaishnava traditions but is not
mandatory:

17. • "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a
spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively
and render service unto him. The self-realized
souls can impart knowledge unto you because
they have seen the truth."(Bhagavad Gita)
• "One who is initiated into the Vaishnava mantra
and who is devoted to worshiping Lord Vishnu is
a Vaishnava. One who is devoid of these practices
is not a Vaishnava."(Padma Purana)

18. • The scriptures specific to the Gaudiya
Vaishnava group also state that one who
performs an act of worship as simple as
chanting the name of Vishnu or Krishna can be
considered a Vaishnava by practice:

19. • "Who chants the holy name of Krishna just
once may be considered a Vaishnava. Such a
person is worshipable and is the topmost
human being."(Chaitanya Charitamrita)

20. Attitude toward scriptures
• Vaishnava traditions refer to the writings of
previous acharyas in their respective lineage
or sampradya as authoritative interpretations
of scripture.While many schools like Smartism
and Advaitism encourage interpretation of
scriptures philosophically and metaphorically
and not too literally, Vaishnavism stresses the
literal meaning (mukhya vṛitti) as primary and
indirect meaning (gauṇa vṛitti) as secondary

21. • sākṣhād upadesas tu shrutih - "The
instructions of the shruti-shāstra should be
accepted literally, without fanciful or
allegorical interpretations."

22. Vaishnava sampradayas
• Within Vaishnavism there are four main
disciplic lineages (sampradayas), each
exemplified by a specific Vedic personality.
The four sampradayas follow subtly different
philosophical systems regarding the
relationship between the soul (jiva) and God
(Vishnu or Krishna), although the majority of
other core beliefs are identical.

23. • Lakshmi-sampradaya
• Philosophy: Vishishtadvaita ("special-
dualism"), espoused by Ramanujacharya
• Sri Vaishnavism, Vaikhanasa, Ramanandi Sect,
Swaminarayan .

24. • Brahma sampradaya
• Philosophies: Dvaita ("dualism"), espoused by
Madhvacharya, and Achintya Bheda Abheda
(literally "inconceivable difference and non-
difference"), espoused by Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu (Gaudiya Vaishnavism).

25. • Rudra sampradaya
• Philosophy: Shuddhadvaita ("pure
nondualism"), espoused by Vishnuswami and
Vallabhacharya.

26. • Kumara-sampradaya
• Philosophy: Dvaitadvaita ("duality in unity"),
espoused by Nimbarka.