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80-474: Namam may refer to: Sricharanam , identification mark of Sri Vaishnavites and Iyengars Thirunamam , identification mark used by Ayyavali See also [ edit ] Naam (disambiguation) Nama (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Namam . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

160-500: A U-shaped tilaka made of sandalwood paste and a chandlo (circle) made of kumkuma (vermillion) in the center. It is applied before the morning puja. According to the Swaminarayan Gadis, the symbol represents Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune, living in the heart of Swaminarayan wherein the tilaka represents the lotus feet of Krishna, the supreme being, and the chandlo stands for Lakshmi . The BAPS interpret

240-427: A Vedic perspective. The name Sri Vaishnavism ( IAST : Śrīvaiṣṇavism) is derived from two words, Sri and Vaishnavism . In Sanskrit , the word Sri refers to goddess Lakshmi as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and god Vishnu who are together revered in this tradition. The word Vaishnavism refers to a tradition that reveres god Vishnu as the supreme god. The followers of Sri Vaishnavism are known as

320-460: A historic momentum, and the liturgical and meditational songs continue to be sung in the modern era temples of Sri Vaishnavism, which is part of the service called cevai (Sanskrit: Seva ). Nathamuni is also attributed with three texts, all in Sanskrit. These are Nyaya Tattva , Purusha Nirnaya and Yogarahasya . The Yogarahasya text, states Govindacharya, is a meditational text, includes

400-701: A result of philosophical and traditional divergences in the post-Ramanuja period. The Vadakalai placed emphasis on Sanskrit scriptures such as the Vedas and Pancharatra texts, while the Tenkalai highlighted Tamil texts such as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham of the Alvars . The philosophies of Pillai Lokacharya and Vedanta Desika, which evolved consequently, were stabilized by Manavala Mamunigal and Brahmatantra Svatantra Jiyar respectively. When

480-487: A tradition led by Alvars in the 7th and the 8th centuries. Ramanuja philosophy negated caste, states Ramaswamy. Ramanuja, who led from the Srirangam temple, welcomed outcastes into temples and gave them important roles in temple duties. Medieval temple records and inscriptions suggest that the payments and offerings collected by the temple were shared regardless of caste distinctions. Scholars offer differing views on

560-563: Is Sanskrit traditions found in ancient texts such as the Vedas and the Agama (Pancaratra), and the second is the Tamil traditions found in early medieval texts ( Tamil Prabandham ) and practices such as the emotional songs and music of Alvars that expressed spiritual ideas, ethics and loving devotion to god Vishnu. The Sanskrit traditions likely represent the ideas shared in ancient times, from

640-530: Is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism , predominantly practiced in South India . The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu , who are together revered in this tradition. The tradition traces its roots to the ancient Vedas and Pancharatra texts, popularised by the Alvars and their canon,

720-485: Is also real. Ramanuja accepted that the Vedas are a reliable source of knowledge, then critiqued other schools of Hindu philosophy, including Advaita Vedanta , as having failed in interpreting all of the Vedic texts. He asserted, in his Sri Bhashya , that purvapaksin (previous schools) selectively interpret those Upanishadic passages that support their monistic interpretation, and ignore those passages that support

800-572: Is at the foundation of Hindu spirituality. John Carman, a professor at the Harvard Divinity School , states that some of the similarities in salvation ideas in Sri Vaishnavism and Protestant Christian doctrines of divine grace are striking. Both accept God as a personal concept, accept devotee's ability to relate to this God without human intermediaries, and accept the idea of sola gratia – salvation through faith by

880-467: Is classified into two major denominations called the Vadakalai ("northern art") and Tenkalai ("southern art"). The northern and southern denominations of Sri Vaishnavism refer respectively to Kanchipuram (the northern part of Tamil country) and Srirangam (the southern part of Tamil country and Kaveri river delta area where Ramanuja wrote his Vedanta treatises from). These denominations arose as

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960-496: Is done to Narayana or Krishna daily. The coal left after offering incense is used to mark the black line. This is called as angara. Those who are wearing this line have finished the Devara Puja (worship). Underneath the black line, red dot is added to indicate that one has finished eating their lunch. This dot is called as akshate. It is the ash of the banana tree flower petal mixed with turmeric paste. The shape of angara-akshate

1040-519: Is like that of a gada. It is supposed to be Pranadeva Sannidhi (have the presence of Vayu Devaru). Those who did not perform daily worship to Narayana wear the simple two line tilaka only. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya, the tilaka is usually made out of mud from Vrindavan . The main tilaka is basically identical to the Madhva tilaka. Below the two lines, on the bridge of the nose is

1120-589: Is offered) rather than Lakshmi and Narayana. The women of the Sri Vaishnava tradition, especially the ones who hail from the Iyengar community, wear a different tilaka from the men. The red line that represents Lakshmi is worn prominently upon the length of their forehead to highlight their femininity, adorned with a miniature white curvature at the base of the design. In South India's Iyengar community, there are two forms of tilakas present, referred to as

1200-839: Is primarily based on interpreting Vedanta , particularly the Upanishads , the Bhagavad Gita , the Brahma Sutras and the Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata . The Vaishnava Agama texts, also called the Pancaratra, has been an important part of Sri Vaishnava tradition. Another theological textual foundation of the tradition are the Tamil bhakti songs of the Alvars (7th to 10th century). The syncretic fusion of

1280-478: Is someone who is a "teacher, guide or master" of certain knowledge. Traditionally a reverential figure to the student in Hinduism, the guru serves as a "counselor, who helps mold values, shares experiential knowledge as much as literal knowledge, an exemplar in life, an inspirational source and who helps in the spiritual evolution of a student." An Acharya refers to either a Guru of high rank, or more often to

1360-585: Is stated by the author to be his goal, what he repeats in his explanation, then what he states as conclusion and whether it can be epistemically verified. Not everything in any text, states Shankara, has equal weight and some ideas are the essence of any expert's textual testimony. This philosophical difference in scriptural studies, helped Shankara conclude that the Principal Upanishads primarily teach monism with teachings such as Tat tvam asi , while helping Ramanuja conclude that qualified monism

1440-485: Is supposed to have been first given to Nimbarka at the time of his initiation by the sage, Narada . The tilaka is first given to an initiate by their guru at the time of initiation , and after this, daily the devotee will remember his guru before he adorns the tilaka on his head. In the Swaminarayan Sampradaya , the urdhva pundra tilaka, also known as the tilaka chandlo, is composed of two elements:

1520-631: Is the "body of Brahman ", everything observed is God, one lives in this body of God, and the purpose of this body and all of creation is to empower soul in its journey to liberating salvation. After Ramanuja several authors composed important theological and exegetical works on Sri Vaishnavism. Such authors include Parsara Bhattar , Nadadoor Ammal, Sudarshan Suri, Pillai Lokacharya , Vedanta Desika , Manavala Mamunigal , Periyavachan Pillai and Rangaramanuja Muni. The Sri Vaishnavism tradition has nurtured an institutional organization of mathas (monasteries) since its earliest days, particularly from

1600-673: Is the energy and power of Shiva and she is the equal with different roles, supreme in the role of creator and destroyer. The prefix Sri is used for this sect because they give special importance to the worship of the Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, who they believe to act as a mediator between God Vishnu and man. Sri Vaishnavism's philosophical foundation was established by Ramanuja, who started his Vedic studies with Yadava Prakaasa in an Advaita Vedanta monastery. He brought Upanishadic ideas to this tradition, and wrote texts on qualified monism , called Vishishtadvaita in

1680-462: Is unsurpassed" and through "love that is an erotic union". But Sri Vaishnavism differs from Shaivism, in that Vishnu is ultimately the sole creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe while Sri Lakshmi is the medium for salvation, the kind mother who recommends to Vishnu and thereby helps living beings in their desire for redemption and salvation. In contrast, in Shaivism, the goddess ( Shakti )

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1760-481: The Bhagavad Gita Bhashya . Ramanuja's scholarship is predominantly founded on Vedanta, Upanishads in particular. He never claims that his ideas were original, but his method of synthesis that combined the Vedic ideas with popular spirituality, states Anne Overzee, is original. Ramanuja, wrote his biographer Ramakrishnananda, was "the culmination of the movement started from the Vedas, nourished by

1840-667: The Bhakti movement in north, west and east India, bringing in Bhakti poet saints from "entire cross-section of class, caste and society". The Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam belongs to the Tenkalai/Thennacharya tradition and is considered as one of the important sites of Sri Vaishnava tradition. The temple follows the tenkalai tradition but the priests are mostly vadakalai . The Tenkalai place higher importance to Tamil slokas than Sanskrit, and lay more emphasis on

1920-526: The Ganges river plains of the northern Indian subcontinent, while the Tamil traditions likely have roots in the Kaveri river plains of southern India, particularly what in modern times are the coastal Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka and Tamil Nadu region. The tradition was founded by Nathamuni (10th century), who combined the two traditions, by drawing on Sanskrit philosophical tradition and combining it with

2000-469: The Naalayira Divya Prabandham . The founding of Sri Vaishnavism is traditionally attributed to Nathamuni of the 10th century CE; its central philosopher has been Ramanuja of the 11th century, who developed the Vishishtadvaita ("qualified non-dualism") Vedanta sub-school of Hindu philosophy . The tradition split into two denominations around the 16th century. The Vadakalai who follow

2080-702: The Vaishnava tradition, just as the Tripundra has been associated with the Shaiva tradition. The Padma Purana explains the theological significance of this symbol: May the Pāvamānya (hymns) purify me with the thousand-edged disc with which they always protect themselves. The disc of the Creator is bright with metal plates and golden. We knowing the hymn purify it (already) purified by it. The unaging disc with

2160-448: The namam. There exist two components of this mark present in both denominations: The Tenkalai namam is a Y-shaped design that incorporates two vertical white lines upon the forehead that intersect upon the bridge of the nose, where they are aligned by the wearer. This is representative of the feet of Vishnu. A red line that is usually applied with kumkuma is worn in its midst as a representation of Lakshmi. The Vadakalai are among

2240-424: The tilaka worn is a double vertical red line which is rounded at the base. This "U" shape represents Krishna's lotus feet. The materials used to make their tilakas are derived from saffron plants. The Madhva Sampradaya mark two vertical lines with Gopichandana representing Vishnu's 'lotus feet'. In between a vertical black line is made from the daily coal of the dhupa (incense). In this sampradaya, worship

2320-493: The 9th century CE, or the 10th century. One of his lasting contributions was to apply the Vedic theory of music on all the Alvar songs using Sanskrit prosody , calling the resulting choreography as divine music, and teaching his nephews the art of resonant bhakti singing of the Alvar songs. This precedence set the guru -sisya-parampara (teacher-student-tradition) in Sri Vaishnavism. This style of education from one generation to

2400-478: The Alvars, Nathamuni and Yamuncharya". Ramunaja himself credits the theories he presents, in Vedarthasamgraha , to the ideas of ancient Hindu scholars such as "Bodhyana, Tanka (Brahmanandin), Dramida (Dravidacarya), Guhadeva, Kapardin and Bharuci". The 11th-century scholarship of Ramanuja emphasized the concept of Sarira-Saririn , that is the world of matter and the empirical reality of living beings

2480-633: The Hindu tradition. His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta , the other two are known as Adi Shankara 's Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya 's Dvaita (dualism). Ramanuja 's Vishishtadvaita asserts that Atman (souls) and Brahman are different, a difference that is never transcended. God Vishnu alone is independent, all other gods and beings are dependent on him. However, in contrast to Dvaita Vedanta philosophy of Madhvacharya, Ramanuja asserts "qualified non-dualism", that souls share

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2560-511: The Lord and detachment from the world. When moksha is reached, the cycle of reincarnation is broken and the soul is united with Vishnu, though maintaining their distinctions, in Vaikuntha , Vishnu's heaven. Moksha can also be reached by total surrender ( saranagati ), an act of grace by the Lord. God, according to Ramanuja's Sri Vaishnavism philosophy, has both soul and body; all of life and

2640-408: The Sanskrit traditions, while the Tenkalai relied more on the Tamil traditions. Although this difference is very superficial and basically non-existent in practical reality. This theological dispute between the Vedic and Bhakti traditions traces it roots to the debate between Srirangam and Kanchipuram monasteries between the 13th and 15th century. The debate then was on the nature of salvation and

2720-529: The Sri Vaishnava(s) (IAST: Śrīvaiṣṇava, श्रीवैष्णव). The tradition traces its roots to the primordial start of the world through Vishnu, and to the texts of Vedic era with both Sri and Vishnu found in ancient texts of the 1st millennium BCE particularly to the Puranas , Upanishads , and the Bhagavad Gita . The historical basis of Sri Vaishnavism is in the syncretism of two developments. The first

2800-748: The Tenkalai represented the anti-caste tendencies while the Vadakalai school championed the cause of purity of the Vedic tenets." The Tenkalai held, adds Raman, that anyone can be a spiritual teacher regardless of caste. The Vadakalai tradition states Sadarangani in contrast to Raman's views, were the liberal cousin of Tenkalai and therefore more successful in gaining devotees, while in southern Tamil lands Shaivism prospered possibly because of "Tenkalai school of Vaishnavism being narrow and orthodox in approach". The Vadakalai school not only succeeded in northern Tamil lands, she adds, but spread widely as it inspired

2880-479: The Vedas), Maha Purushanirnayam (extension of Nathamuni's treatise), Stotraratnam and Chathuh shloki (bhakti strota texts). Yamunacharya is also credited with Nitya Grantha and Mayavada Khandana . The Nitya Grantha is a ritual text and suggests methods of daily worship of Narayana (Vishnu). The 10th century Mayavada Khandana text, together with Siddhitrayam of Yamunacharya predominantly critiques

2960-526: The Vedas. While other Vaishnava groups interpret Vedic deities like Indra , Savitar , Bhaga , Rudra , etc., to be the same as their Puranic counterparts, Sri Vaishnavas consider these to be different names/roles/forms of Narayana , thus claiming that the entirety of the Vedas is dedicated to Vishnu reverence alone. Sri Vaishnavas have remodelled the Pancharatra homas (rituals) to include Vedic suktas (hymns) in them, thus integrating them with

3040-504: The aesthetic and emotional appeal of the Bhakti movement pioneers called the Alvars . Sri Vaishnavism developed in Tamil Nadu in the 10th century, after Nathamuni returned from a pilgrimage to Vrindavan in north India (modern Uttar Pradesh ). Nathamuni's ideas were continued by Yamunacharya , who maintained that the Vedas and Pancaratras are equal, devotional rituals and bhakti are important practices. The legacy of Yamunacharya

3120-454: The destruction of the individual, he would run away as soon as the subject of liberation was suggested... The "I", the knowing subject, is the inner self. — Nyayatattva , Nathamuni, ~9th-10th century, Translator: Christopher Bartley Yamunacharya was the grandson of Nathamuni , also known in Sri Vaishnava tradition as Alavandar, whose scholarship is remembered for correlating Alvar bhakti theology and Pancaratra Agama texts to Vedic ideas. He

3200-563: The doctrine of Vedanta Desika , whereas the Tenkalai who follow the principles of Manavala Mamunigal . The Telugu Brahmins of the Sri Vaishnava tradition form a single distinct sect called the Andhra Vaishnavas , and are not divided into the Vadakalai and Tenkalai denominations, unlike the Tamil Iyengars . The most striking difference between Sri Vaishnavas and other Vaishnava groups lies in their interpretation of

3280-662: The egalitarian Virashaiva Hindus (Lingayatism) of Karnataka. Both sects believe in initiation through Pancha Samskara . This ceremony or rite of passage is necessary for one to become a Vaishnava. It is performed by both Brahmins and non-Brahmins in order to become Vaishnavas. Some non-Brahmin Vaishnavas include Telugu Naidu , Tamil Vanniyar and Namadhari . Only those Vaishnavas who are of brahmin caste call themselves as Sri Vaishnavas. The Tenkalai tradition brought into their fold artisanal castes into community-based devotional movements. Raman states, "it can almost be said that

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3360-418: The eight limb yoga similar to that of Patanjali, but emphasizes yoga as "the art of communion with God". The Nyaya Tattva text survives only in quotes and references cited in other texts, and these suggest that it presented epistemic foundations ( Nyaya ) including the philosophical basis for the Hindu belief on the existence of "soul" ( Atman ), in contrast to Indian philosophies such as Buddhism that denied

3440-422: The existence of soul. Nathamuni, for example asserts, If "I" did not refer to the true self, there would be no interiority belonging to the soul. The interior is distinguished from the exterior by the concept "I". The aspiration, "May I, having abandoned all suffering, participate freely in infinite bliss", actuates a person whose goal is liberation to study scriptures etc. Were it thought that liberation involved

3520-436: The felly is the eye of the noble one. Having put it on gods reached a high position. Therefore, (the marks of) the weapons should be duly put on particularly by brāhmaṇas, especially by Viṣṇu’s devotees. The noble one of a pure heart, who having the Ūrdhvapuṇḍra (perpendicular marks of sandal on the forehead) and the mark of the disc, meditates on Viṣṇu’s position, by means of singing the hymn always reaches (god Viṣṇu) higher than

3600-495: The feminine and the masculine, the goddess and the god. Sri ( Lakshmi ) is regarded as the preceptor of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya. Goddess Sri has been considered inseparable from god Vishnu , and essential to each other, and to the act of mutual loving devotion. Sri and Vishnu act and cooperate in the creation of everything that exists, and redemption. According to some medieval scholars of Sri Vaishnava theology, states John Carman, Sri and Vishnu do so using "divine knowledge that

3680-480: The form of an order in which the mark is applied, correlating each with an epithet of the preserver deity: The mark here is called the namam or the s richaranam . Members of the Sri Vaishnava tradition wear the tilaka with the two outer lines representing the feet of Narayana , and the red line in the middle that represents his consort, Lakshmi . A curvature upon the top bridge of the nose indicates that

3760-534: The function of mathas to include feeding the poor and devotees who visit, hosting marriages and community festivals, farming temple lands and flower gardens as a source for food and worship ingredients, being open to pilgrims as rest houses, and this philanthropic role of these Hindu monasteries continues. In the 15th-century, these monasteries expanded by establishing Ramanuja-kuta in major South Indian Sri Vaishnavism locations. The organizationally important Sri Vaishnavism matha are: The Sri Vaishnava tradition

3840-580: The grace of God alone, such as those found in Martin Luther 's teachings. While both Sri Vaishnavism and Protestant Christianity accept a supreme God and shares ideas on the nature of salvation, they differ in their specifics about incarnation such as Jesus Christ being the only incarnation in Christianity, while Sri Vaishnavism accepts many incarnations ( avatar ) of Vishnu. Christian missionaries in 19th century colonial British India, noted

3920-665: The highest always remaining in his heart. The Vasudeva Upanishad , a Vaishnava text, explains the significance of the three vertical lines in the Urdhva Pundra Tilaka, offering a number of interpretations: To be a reminder of the Vedic scriptures - Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda; The three worlds Bhu, Bhuva, Svar; The three phonemes of Om - A, U, M; The three states of consciousness - awake, dream sleep, deep sleep; The three realities - Maya, Brahman, and Atman; The three bodies - Sthula, Sukshma, and Karana. The Skanda Purana also offers some details regarding

4000-656: The idea of eternal damnation; Madhvacharya believed that some souls are eternally doomed and damned, while Ramanuja disagreed and accepted the Advaita Vedanta view that everyone can, with effort, achieve inner liberation and spiritual freedom ( moksha ). Theology Śrīvaiṣṇava theologians state that the poems of the Alvars contain the essential meaning of the Sanskrit Vedas . — John Carman and Vasudha Narayanan According to Sri Vaishnavism theology, moksha can be reached by devotion and service to

4080-529: The ideas of Advaita, became the most influential leader of Sri Vaishnavism. He developed the Visistadvaita ("qualified non-dualism") philosophy. Around 14th century, Ramanandi Sampradaya split from it. Around the 18th century, the Sri Vaishnava tradition split into the Vadakalai ("northern culture", Vedic) and Tenkalai ("southern culture", Bhakti). The Vadakalai placed more emphasis on

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4160-726: The leader of a regional monastery. This position typically involves a ceremonial initiation called diksha by the monastery, where the earlier leader anoints the successor as Acharya . A Swami is usually those who interact with community on the behalf of the matha . The chief and most revered of all Vaishnava monasteries, are titled as Jeer , Jiyar , Jeeyar , or Ciyar . The Sri Vaishnavism mathas, over time, divided into two, those with Tenkalai (southern) tradition and Vadakalai (northern) tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. The Tenkalai-associated mathas are headquartered at Srirangam, while Vadakalai mathas are associated with Kanchipuram. Both these traditions have from 10th-century onwards considered

4240-415: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Namam&oldid=1150662621 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Sricharanam The Urdhava Pundra has historically been associated with

4320-564: The many similarities and attempted to express the theology of Christianity as a bhakti marga to Hindus, along the lines of Sri Vaishnavism, in their mission to convert them from Hinduism to Christianity. Similar teachings on the nature of salvation through grace and compassion, adds Carman, are found in the Japanese scholar Shinran's text on Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, even though non-theistic Buddhism and theistic Sri Vaishnavism do differ in their views on God. Sri Vaishnavism philosophy

4400-512: The mark they recite the twelve names beginning with ‘Keśava’ and ending with ‘Vāsudeva’ and say ‘Obeisance to you’. When they apply it on the head, they say ‘Vāsudeva’. In Vaishnava tradition, the Urdhva Pundra is applied on different regions of an individual's body, and its application requires one to ritually invoke the various names of Vishnu. This is also referred to as nama. The Chandogya Upanishad sheds some light on this concept in

4480-424: The mark: Listen to the marks of the devotees attentively, O Mother. It is a secret, O Dharaṇī. They have permanent marks of conch and discus on the pair of arms. Their special characteristic is Ūrdhvapuṇḍra (sectarian mark in a vertical V-like form) with a gap in the middle. Others have twelve such Puṇḍras on the forehead, heart, neck, belly, two sides, two elbows, two arms, back and back of the neck. When they apply

4560-583: The minor works titled Vedantadipa , Vedantasara , Gadya Traya (which is a compilation of three texts called the Sharanagati Gadyam , Sriranga Gadyam and the Vaikuntha Gadyam ), and Nitya Grantham . Some modern scholars have questioned the authenticity of all but the three of the largest works credited to Ramanuja; the following texts are considered as authentically traceable to Ramanuja – Shri Bhashya , Vedarthasamgraha, and

4640-405: The mother carries. This metaphorical description of the disagreement between the two sub-traditions, first appears in the 18th-century Tamil texts, but historically refers to the foundational ideas behind the karma -marga versus bhakti -marga traditions of Hinduism. Along with Vishnu, and like Shaivism , the ultimate reality and truth is considered in Sri Vaishnavism to be the divine sharing of

4720-522: The next, is a tradition called Araiyars , states Guy Beck, which preserved "the art of singing and dancing the verses of the Divya Prabandham" set in the sacred melodies and rhythms described in the Vedic texts. Nathamuni's efforts to syncretically combine the Vedic knowledge and Alvar compositions, also set the precedence of reverence for both the Vedas and the Alvar bhakti ideas. Nathamuni's scholarship that set Alvar songs in Vedic meter set

4800-547: The nose and continues as two vertical lines to the top of the forehead. This is said to represent the temple of God. Within these lines, between the eyebrows is a black dot, made from the slate found in Barsana , Uttar Pradesh , the sacred birthplace of Radha . This is said to represent God as Radha and Krishna together. This tilaka personifies the tenets of the Sampradaya, that God is Radha and Krishna together, none else. It

4880-686: The one in Melukote . The Sri Vaishnavism tradition believes that Ramanuja started 700 mathas, but historical evidence suggests several of these were started later. The matha , or a monastery, hosted numerous students, many teachers and an institutionalized structure to help sustain and maintain its daily operations. A matha in Vaishnvaism and other Hindu traditions, like a college, designates teaching, administrative and community interaction functions, with prefix or suffix to names, with titles such as Guru , Acharya , Swami, and Jiyar . A Guru

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4960-465: The outer most regions of Vaikuntha. They further say that God's seemingly contradictory nature as both minuscule and immense are examples of God's special powers that enable Him to accomplish the impossible. According to the Tenkalai, exalted persons need not perform duties such as Sandhyavandanam ; they do so only to set a good example. They don't allow the ringing of bells during worship. The Tenkalai forbid widows to shave (tonsure) their head, quoting

5040-475: The philosophy of the traditionally dominant school of Advaita Vedanta in Hindu philosophy , but also critiques non-Vedic traditions. The Sri Vaishnava tradition attributes nine Sanskrit texts to Ramanuja – Vedarthasamgraha (literally, "Summary of the Vedas meaning" ) Sri Bhasya (a review and commentary on the Brahma Sutras ), Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita ), and

5120-464: The pluralism interpretation. There is no reason, stated Ramanuja, to prefer one part of a scripture and not other, the whole of the scripture must be considered on par. One cannot, according to Ramanuja, attempt to give interpretations of isolated portions of any scripture. Rather, the scripture must be considered one integrated corpus, expressing a consistent doctrine. The Vedic literature, asserted Ramanuja, mention both plurality and oneness, therefore

5200-451: The relative approach of the two denominations on caste and gender. Raman states that Tenkalai did not recognise caste barriers and were more liberal in assimilating people from all castes, possibly because this had been the tradition at Srirangam from the earliest days of Sri Vaishnavism. In contrast, Sadarangani states that it was Vadakalai who were more liberal and who did not recognise caste barriers, possibly because they were competing with

5280-499: The role of grace. The Bhakti-favouring Tenkalai tradition asserted, states Patricia Mumme, that Vishnu saves the soul like "a mother cat carries her kitten", where the kitten just accepts the mother while she picks her up and carries. In contrast the Vedic-favouring Vadakalai tradition asserted that Vishnu saves the soul like "a mother monkey carries her baby", where the baby has to make an effort and hold on while

5360-532: The same essential nature of Brahman, and that there is a universal sameness in the quality and degree of bliss possible for human souls, and every soul can reach the bliss state of God himself. While the 13th- to 14th-century Madhvacharya asserted both "qualitative and quantitative pluralism of souls", Ramanuja asserted "qualitative monism and quantitative pluralism of souls", states Sharma. The other philosophical difference between Madhvacharya's Vaishnavism Sampradaya and Ramanuja's Vaishnavism Sampradaya, has been on

5440-471: The schism weakened, Vadakalai tradition split into Munitreyam, Ahobila Matha , and Parakala matha . Similarly, Tenkalai tradition split into Kandadais, Telugu Sri Vaishnavas , Soliyar, and Sikkiliyar. From the ancient period, the Sri Vaishnavism movement flourished in Tamilakam owing to its social inclusiveness, where devotion to the supreme deity (Vishnu) was open without limitation to gender or caste,

5520-411: The shape of a tulsi leaf, while other Vaishnava groups may instead feature the shape of the neem or asoka leaf. The slight difference arose due to the emphasis on direct devotional service such as hearing from the shastras and glorifying the Lord in accordance with Srimad-Bhagavatam. As such, the black line made from the ash of the fire sacrifice is not included. As per Sri Hari Bhakti Vilasa (4.211),

5600-661: The tilaka chandlo to indicate the bhakta-bhagavan mode of worshipping Paramatma along with his ideal devotee, the Gunatit Sadhu. Swaminarayan proclaimed that all devotees should wear the mark on 13 February 1821 during the Holi festival in Panchala, near Junagadh, Gujarat, after demonstrating the tilaka chandlo on Gunatitanand Swami . Sri Vaishnava Traditional Sri Vaishnavism ( Sanskrit : श्रीवैष्णवसम्प्रदाय , romanized :  Śrīvaiṣṇavasampradāya )

5680-532: The tilaka is a U that begins from the beginning of the nose which is technically 1/3rd the distance from the base to the tip. In due course of time, this original tilaka was modified to suit various divisions and sects. In Nimbarka Sampradaya , the tilaka is made of Gopi -Chandana (the clay from Gopi Kunda lake in Dwarka , Gujarat ), as described in the Vasudeva Upanishad . It starts at the bridge of

5760-532: The time of Ramanuja. After the death of Yamunacharya, Ramanuja was nominated as the leader of the Srirangam matha, though Yamunacharya and Ramanuja never met. Amongst other things, Ramanuja is remembered in the Sri Vaishnavism tradition for his organizational skills and the lasting institutional reforms he introduced at Srirangam, a system paralleling those at Advaita monasteries of his time and where he studied before joining Srirangam matha. Ramanuja travelled and founded many Sri Vaishnavism mathas across India, such as

5840-409: The truth must incorporate pluralism and monism, or qualified monism. This method of scripture interpretation distinguishes Ramanuja from Adi Shankara. Shankara's exegetical approach Samanvayat Tatparya Linga with Anvaya-Vyatireka , states that for proper understanding all texts must be examined in their entirety and then their intent established by six characteristics, which includes studying what

5920-514: The two denominations of the Iyengar community of Tamil Brahmins . The Vadakalai namam is a U-shaped design that incorporates two curved lines upon the forehead. As in the Tenkalai namam, this is representative of the feet of Vishnu. A yellow line that is usually applied with a turmeric paste is worn in its midst as a representation of Lakshmi. In the Vallabha tradition, or the Rudra sampradaya ,

6000-520: The two textual traditions is sometimes referred to as the Ubhaya Vedanta , or dual Vedanta. The relative emphasis between the two has been a historic debate within the Sri Vaishnavism tradition, which ultimately led to the schism into the Vatakalai and Tenkalai sub-traditions around the 18th century. Nathamuni collected the poems of Nammalvar , in the form of Divya Prabandham , likely in

6080-516: The wearer belongs to the Tenkalai denomination. Because the Sri Vaishnava tradition accords a high place to Lakshmi, and because they approach Narayana through Lakshmi, their tilaka reflects this process of surrender, known as saranagati (or sometimes also prapatti ). A variant to this is found within the Ramanandi sect , begun by Ramananda , whose members wear a similar tilaka design, but with reference to Sita and Rama (to whom their devotion

6160-402: The world of matter is the glory of God's body. The path to Brahman (Vishnu), asserted Ramanuja, is devotion to godliness and constant remembrance of the beauty and love of personal god ( saguna Brahman, Vishnu). Ramanuja's theory posits both Brahman and the world of matter are two different absolutes, both metaphysically real, neither one false or illusive, and saguna Brahman with attributes

6240-530: The worship of Vishnu. The Tenkalai accept prapatti as the only means to attain salvation. They consider Prapatti as an unconditional surrender. The Thenkalais follow the Tamil Prabandham , and assert primacy to rituals in Tamil language . They regard kaivalya (detachment, isolation) as an eternal position within the realm of Vaikuntha (Vishnu's 'eternal abode' or heaven), though it only exists at

6320-494: Was continued by Ramanuja (1017-1137), but they never met. Legend goes that Ramanuja saw Yamunacharya's corpse, which had three fingers curled. Ramanuja was told that they represented the three wishes that Yamunacharya had revealed before he passed. One of the wishes was that Ramanuja should write a commentary on the Brahma Sutras. Ramanuja, a scholar who studied in an Advaita Vedanta monastery and disagreed with some of

6400-399: Was the acharya (chief teacher) of Sri Vaishnavism monastery at Srirangam, and was followed by Ramanuja , even though they never met. Yamunacharya composed a number of works important in Sri Vaishnavism, particularly Siddhitrayam (about the nature of Atman, God, universe), Gitarthasangraha (analysis of the Bhagavad Gita ), Agamapramanya (epistemological basis of Agamas, mapping them to

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