The Urdhva Pundra ( Sanskrit : ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्र , romanized : Ūrdhvapuṇḍra , lit. 'elevated mark') is a tilaka worn by Vaishnavas as an indication of their affiliation with Vishnu . It is generally worn on the forehead, but may also be worn on other parts of the body such as the shoulders. The markings are made either as a daily ritual, or on special occasions, and denote the particular sampradaya , or the lineage to which the devotee belongs. The different Vaishnava sampradayas each have their own distinctive style of tilaka based on the siddhanta of their particular lineage. The general tilaka design is of two or three vertical lines resembling the letter U or Y, which represent the lotus feet of Vishnu .
82-690: The Urdhava Pundra has historically been associated with 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
164-495: 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
246-504: A Vaishnava Upanishad The charity or gift is the armour in the world, All beings live on the gift of the other, Through gifts strangers become friends, Through gifts, they ward off difficulties, On gifts and giving, everything rests, That is why charity is the highest. — Mahanarayana Upanishad 63.6 Along with the reverence and exegetical analysis of the ancient Principal Upanishads , Vaishnava-inspired scholars authored 14 Vishnu avatar-focussed Upanishads that are called
328-483: A form of Vishnu. The legend goes that King Vibhishana , who was carrying the idol of Ranganatha on his way to Lanka , took rest for a while by placing the statue on the ground. When he prepared to depart, he realised that the idol was stuck to the ground. So, he built a small shrine, which became a popular abode for the deity Ranganatha on the banks of the river Kaveri. The entire temple campus with great walls, towards, mandapas, halls with 1000 pillars were constructed over
410-623: A northern ridge of the Hindu Kush, and absorbed into the Vedic orthodoxy as Purusa Narayana. Purusa Narayana may have later been turned into Arjuna and Krsna. In the late-Vedic texts (~1000 to 500 BCE), the concept of a metaphysical Brahman grows in prominence, and the Vaishnavism tradition considered Vishnu to be identical to Brahman, just like Shaivism and Shaktism consider Shiva and Devi to be Brahman respectively. This complex history
492-639: A period of 300 years from the 14th to 17th century CE. Most of the Gupta kings, beginning with Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) (375–413 CE) were known as Parama Bhagavatas or Bhagavata Vaishnavas . But following the Huna invasions, especially those of the Alchon Huns circa 500 CE, the Gupta Empire declined and fragmented, ultimately collapsing completely, with the effect of discrediting Vaishnavism,
574-543: Is a monotheistic tradition wherein Vishnu (Krishna) is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. In contrast, Sri Vaishnavism sampradaya associated with Ramanuja has monotheistic elements, but differs in several ways, such as goddess Lakshmi and god Vishnu are considered as inseparable equal divinities. According to some scholars, Sri Vaishnavism emphasizes panentheism, and not monotheism, with its theology of "transcendence and immanence", where God interpenetrates everything in
656-903: Is accepted as a teacher whose teachings are in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana . Vaishnavism, just like all Hindu traditions, considers the Vedas as the scriptural authority. All traditions within Vaishnavism consider the Brahmanas , the Aranyakas and the Upanishads embedded within the four Vedas as Sruti , while Smritis, which include all the epics, the Puranas and its Samhitas, states Mariasusai Dhavamony, are considered as "exegetical or expository literature" of
738-532: Is acknowledged as the supreme goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with her love. It is believed that Krishna enchants the world, but Radha enchants even him. Therefore, she is the supreme goddess of all. Radha and Krishna are avatars of Lakshmi and Vishnu respectively. In the region of India called Braj, Radha and Krishna are worshipped together, and their separation cannot even be conceived. And, some communities ascribe more devotional significance to Radha. While there are much earlier references to
820-584: Is an Avatar , rather than a transcended Supreme Being. Vishnuism believes in Vishnu as the supreme being. When all other Vaishnavas recognise Krishna as one of Vishnu's avatars , though only the Krishnites identify the Supreme Being ( Svayam Bhagavan , Brahman , a source of the Trimurti) with Krishna and his forms ( Radha Krishna , Vithoba and others), those manifested themselves as Vishnu. This
902-500: Is believed that God appears to his devoted worshippers in many different forms, depending on their particular desires. These forms include the different avataras of Krishna described in traditional Vaishnava texts, but they are not limited to these. Indeed, it is said that the different expansions of the Svayam bhagavan are uncountable and they cannot be fully described in the finite scriptures of any one religious community. Many of
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#1732791114993984-479: Is centred on the devotion of Vishnu and his avatars. According to Schweig, it is a "polymorphic monotheism, i.e. a theology that recognises many forms ( ananta rupa ) of the one, single unitary divinity," since there are many forms of one original deity, with Vishnu taking many forms. Okita, in contrast, states that the different denominations within Vaishnavism are best described as theism, pantheism and panentheism . The Vaishnava sampradaya started by Madhvacharya
1066-496: 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
1148-416: Is its difference from such groups as Ramaism , Radhaism , Sitaism, etc. As such Krishnaism is believed to be one of the early attempts to make philosophical Hinduism appealing to the masses. In common language the term Krishnaism is not often used, as many prefer a wider term "Vaishnavism", which appeared to relate to Vishnu, more specifically as Vishnu-ism. In Vishnu-centered sects, Vishnu or Narayana
1230-519: 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
1312-673: Is mainly present in Gujarat/Rajasthan, through the Vallabha sampradaya. The beliefs of the sampradaya was further propagated by Vallabha Acharya (1479–1531). Rudra sampradaya has two main divisions: Vishnuswamis , that is, followers of Vishnuswami and the Vallabhas or Pushtimarg sect, founded by Vallabha. According to William Deadwyler, the sampradaya has disappeared, except for the Pushtimarg group. The philosophy of
1394-589: 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
1476-483: Is often considered to be non-Vedic. According to Dandekar, such mergers consolidated the position of Krishnaism between the heterodox sramana movement and the orthodox Vedic religion. The "Greater Krsnaism", states Dandekar, then adopted the Rigvedic Vishnu as Supreme deity to increase its appeal towards orthodox elements. According to Klostermaier , Vaishnavism originates in the latest centuries BCE and
1558-439: Is often described as having the appearance of a dark-skinned person and is depicted as a young cowherd boy playing a flute or as a youthful prince giving philosophical direction and guidance, as in the Bhagavad Gita . Krishna is also worshiped across many other traditions of Hinduism. Krishna and the stories associated with him appear across a broad spectrum of different Hindu philosophical and theological traditions, where it
1640-420: Is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism , Shaktism , and Smartism . It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities , that is, Mahavishnu . Its followers are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnava s ( IAST : Vaiṣṇava ), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism , which consider Krishna and Rama as
1722-540: Is reflected in the two main historical denominations of Vishnavism. The Bhagavats , worship Vāsudeva-Krishna, and are followers of Brahmanic Vaishnavism, while the Pacaratrins regard Narayana as their founder, and are followers of Tantric Vaishnavism. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar states that the lifetime of the Vaishnava Alvars was during the first half of the 12th century, their works flourishing about
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#17327911149931804-485: 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:
1886-655: Is the one supreme God. 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 . To the devotees of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya , "Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Being and the foundation of all existence." Lakshmi, his consort, is described to act as the mediatrix between Vishnu and his devotees, intervening to offer her grace and forgiveness. According to Vedanta Desika ,
1968-517: Is understood today as Vaishnavism did not originate in Vedism at all, but emerged from the merger of several popular theistic traditions which developed after the decline of Brahmanism at the end of the Vedic period, closely before the second urbanisation of northern India, in the 7th to 4th century BCE. It initially formed as Vasudevism around Vāsudeva , a deified leader of the Vrishnis , and one of
2050-699: The Cilappatikaram present Krishna, his brother , and favourite female companions in the similar terms. Hardy argues that the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana is essentially a Sanskrit "translation" of the bhakti of the Tamil alvars . Devotion to the southern Indian Mal ( Perumal ) may be an early form of Krishnaism, since Mal appears as a divine figure, largely like Krishna with some elements of Vishnu. The Alvars , whose name can be translated "immersed", were devotees of Perumal. They codified
2132-699: The Bhagavata cults of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Gopala-Krishna , as well as Narayana , developed in the 7th to 4th century BCE. It was integrated with the Vedic God Vishnu in the early centuries CE, and finalized as Vaishnavism, when it developed the avatar doctrine, wherein the various non-Vedic deities are revered as distinct incarnations of the supreme God Vishnu . Narayana , Hari , Rama , Krishna , Kalki , Perumal , Shrinathji , Vithoba , Venkateswara , Guruvayurappan , Ranganatha , Jagannath , Badrinath and Muktinath are among
2214-402: The Bhagavata Purana . The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, the evidence inconsistent and scanty. Syncretism of various traditions resulted in Vaishnavism. Although Vishnu was a Vedic solar deity, he is mentioned less often compared to Agni, Indra, and other Vedic deities, thereby suggesting that he had a minor position in the Vedic religion. According to Dandekar , what
2296-738: The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad , Chandogya Upanishad , Katha Upanishad , Isha Upanishad , Mundaka Upanishad , Taittiriya Upanishad and others. In some cases, they cite fragments from the Brahmana and Aranyaka layers of the Rigveda and the Yajurveda . Rudra Sampradaya Traditional In Hinduism , the Rudra Sampradaya is one of four Vaishnava sampradayas , a tradition of disciplic succession in
2378-722: The Dvaita school of Madhvacharya , the Dvaitadvaita school of Nimbarkacharya , and the Shuddhadvaita of Vallabhacharya . There are also several other Vishnu-traditions. Ramananda (14th century) created a Rama-oriented movement, now the largest monastic group in Asia. Key texts in Vaishnavism include the Vedas , the Upanishads , the Bhagavad Gita , the Pancharatra (Agama) texts, Naalayira Divya Prabhandham , and
2460-554: The Hindu scriptures sometimes differ in details reflecting the concerns of a particular tradition, while some core features of the view on Krishna are shared by all. Radha Krishna is the combination of both the feminine as well as the masculine aspects of God. Krishna is often referred as Svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is Krishna's internal potency and supreme beloved. With Krishna, Radha
2542-578: The Paripatal , which contains seven poems in praise of Vishnu, including references to Krishna and Balarama. Aiyangar references an invasion of the south by the Mauryas in some of the older poems of the Sangam, and indicated that the opposition that was set up and maintained persistently against northern conquest had possibly in it an element of religion, the south standing up for orthodox Brahmanism against
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2624-550: The Shaivism school dedicated to his worship as the Supreme God, is the first and foremost Vaishnava, or follower of Vishnu . According to the tradition, Vishnuswami was fifteenth in the line of passing of the knowledge from teacher to student. The date of formation of the sampradaya is disputed. Not much about the historical Vishnuswami is known and all his works are thought to have been lost in time. The sampradaya currently
2706-536: The Smritis and Puranas for the daily life of a Hindu, and also the worship of various deities like the sun, the moon, the grahas or planets, enjoined by the priestly Brahmin class for the sake of emoluments and gain. It enjoined the worship of no other deities except Narayana of the Upanishads , who was deemed the primal cause of srsti (creation), sthiti (existence) and pralaya (destruction). The accompanying philosophies of Advaita and Vishishtadvaita brought
2788-594: The Vrishni heroes . Later, Vāsudeva was amalgamated with Krishna "the deified tribal hero and religious leader of the Yadavas", to form the merged deity Bhagavan Vāsudeva-Krishna , due to the close relation between the tribes of the Vrishnis and the Yadavas. This was followed by a merger with the cult of Gopala-Krishna of the cowherd community of the Abhıras in the 4th century CE. The character of Gopala Krishna
2870-447: 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
2952-422: 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
3034-435: The 10th century started to employ Vedanta-arguments, possibly continuing an older tradition of Vishnu-oriented Vedanta predating Advaita Vedanta . Many of the early Vaishnava scholars such as Nathamuni, Yamunacharya and Ramanuja, contested Adi Shankaras Advaita interpretations and proposed Vishnu bhakti ideas instead. Vaishnavism flourished in predominantly Shaivite Tamil Nadu during the seventh to tenth centuries CE with
3116-603: The 12th century. It was supported by the Puranic literature such as the Bhagavata Purana , poetic works, as well as many scholarly bhasyas and samhitas . This period saw the growth of Vashnavism Sampradayas (denominations or communities) under the influence of scholars such as Ramanujacharya , Vedanta Desika , Madhvacharya and Vallabhacharya . Bhakti poets or teachers such as Manavala Mamunigal , Namdev , Ramananda , Sankardev , Surdas , Tulsidas , Eknath , Tyagaraja , Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and many others influenced
3198-470: The 14th century, Sankaradeva in the 15th and Vallabha and Chaitanya in the 16th century. Historically, it was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who founded congregational chanting of holy names of Krishna in the early 16th century after becoming a sannyasi . During the 20th century, Vaishnavism spread from India and is now practised in many places around the globe, including North America, Europe, Africa, Russia and South America. A pioneer of Vaishnavite mission to
3280-406: The Gupta age, Krishnaism rose to a major current of Vaishnavism, and Vaishnavism developed into various sects and subsects, most of them emphasizing bhakti , which was strongly influenced by south Indian religiosity. Modern scholarship posit Nimbarkacharya (c.7th century CE) to this period who propounded Radha Krishna worship and his doctrine came to be known as (dvaita-advaita). Vaishnavism in
3362-503: The One Supreme form of God and source of all avatars, Svayam Bhagavan . Krishnaism is often also called Bhagavatism—perhaps the earliest Krishnite movement was Bhagavatism with Krishna- Vasudeva (about 2nd century BCE) —after the Bhagavata Purana which asserts that Krishna is "Bhagavan Himself," and subordinates to itself all other forms: Vishnu , Narayana , Purusha , Ishvara , Hari , Vasudeva , Janardana etc. Krishna
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3444-726: The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Agamas are the scriptural sources of Vaishnavism. The Bhagavata Purana is a revered and widely celebrated text, parts of which, a few scholars such as Dominic Goodall, include as a scripture. Other important texts in the tradition include the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as texts by various sampradayas (denominations within Vaishnavism). In many Vaishnava traditions, Krishna
3526-559: The Vaishnava Upanishads. These are considered part of 95 minor Upanishads in the Muktikā Upanishadic corpus of Hindu literature. The earliest among these were likely composed in 1st millennium BCE, while the last ones in the late medieval era. All of the Vaishnava Upanishads either directly reference and quote from the ancient Principal Upanishads or incorporate some ideas found in them; most cited texts include
3608-704: The Vaishnava canon of the south with their most significant liturgy, the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , traced to the 10th century as a compilation by Nathamuni. Their poems show a pronounced orientation to the Vaishnava, and often Krishna, side of Mal. But they do not make the distinction between Krishna and Vishnu on the basis of the concept of the avatars . Yet, according to Hardy, the term "Mayonism" should be used instead of "Krishnaism" when referring to Mal or Mayon. The early Alvars speak of glorifying Vishnu bhakti (devotion to Vishnu), but at
3690-635: The Vedic texts. The Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy , which interpreted the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutra , provided the philosophical foundations of Vaishnavism. Due to the ancient and archaic language of the Vedic texts, interpretations varied among different schools, leading to differences between the denominations (sampradayas) of Vaishnavism. These interpretations have created different traditions within Vaishnavism, from dualistic ( Dvaita ) Vedanta of Madhvacharya , to nondualistic ( Advaita ) Vedanta of Madhusudana Sarasvati . Axiology in
3772-766: The West was sannyasi Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914), the author of the first full-length treatment of Bengali Vaishnavism in English, Sree Krishna—the Lord of Love . He founded the "Krishna Samaj" society in New York City in 1902 and a temple in Los Angeles . The global status of Vaishnavism is largely due to the growth of the ISKCON movement, founded by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966. Vaishnavism
3854-478: The balance in the universe. These avatars include Narayana, Vasudeva, Rama and Krishna; each the name of a divine figure with attributed supremacy, which each associated tradition of Vaishnavism believes to be distinct. The term "Krishnaism" ( Kṛṣṇaism ) has been used to describe a large group of independent traditions- sampradayas within Vaishnavism regarded Krishna as the Supreme God, while "Vishnuism" may be used for sects focusing on Vishnu in which Krishna
3936-644: The concept of the Vedic deity Bhaga , and initially it seems to have been a monotheistic sect, independent of the Brahmanical pantheon." The development of the Krishna-traditions was followed by a syncretism of these non-Vedic traditions with the Mahabharata canon, thus affiliating itself with Vedism in order to become acceptable to the orthodox establishment. The Vishnu of the Rig Veda
4018-495: The cosmic balance between the everpresent forces of good and evil. The most known and celebrated avatars of Vishnu, within the Vaishnavism traditions of Hinduism, are Krishna , Rama , Narayana and Vasudeva . These names have extensive literature associated with them; each has its own characteristics, legends, and associated arts. The Mahabharata , for example, includes Krishna, while the Ramayana includes Rama. The Vedas,
4100-573: The early centuries CE, with the cult of the heroic Vāsudeva, a leading member of the Vrishni heroes , which was then amalgamated with Krishna , hero of the Yadavas , and still several centuries later with the "divine child" Bala Krishna of the Gopala traditions. According to Klostermaier, "In some books Krishna is presented as the founder and first teacher of the Bhagavata religion." According to Dalal, "The term Bhagavata seems to have developed from
4182-470: The encroachment of Buddhism by the persuasive eloquence and persistent effort of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka . The Tamil literature of this period has references scattered all over to the colonies of Brahmans brought and settled down in the south, and the whole output of this archaic literature exhibits unmistakably considerable Brahman influence in the making up of that literature. The Vaishnava school of
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#17327911149934264-494: The expansion of Vaishnavism. Even Mirabai took part in this specific movement. These scholars rejected Shankara 's doctrines of Advaita Vedanta, particularly Ramanuja in the 12th century, and Vedanta Desika and Madhva in the 13th century, building their theology on the devotional tradition of the Alvars ( Sri Vaishnavas ). In North and Eastern India, Vaishnavism gave rise to various late Medieval movements Ramananda in
4346-528: The faith in Karnataka. The Chalukyas and their rivals of the Pallavas appear to have employed Vaishnavism as an assertion of divine kingship, one of them proclaiming themselves as terrestrial emanations of Vishnu while the other promptly adopted Shaivism as their favoured tradition, neither of them offering much importance to the other's deity. The Sri Vaishnava sampradaya of Ramanuja would hold sway in
4428-478: 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
4510-711: The hymn always reaches (god Viṣṇu) higher than 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
4592-455: The hymn purify it (already) purified by it. The unaging disc with 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
4674-424: The individual self, mind, and egoism." Vaishnavism theology has developed the concept of avatar (incarnation) around Vishnu as the preserver or sustainer. His avataras, asserts Vaishnavism, descend to empower the good and fight evil, thereby restoring dharma . This is reflected in the passages of the ancient Bhagavad Gita as: Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth. For
4756-532: The insurgent Buddhists and Jains. The Pallavas were also the first of various dynasties that offered land and wealth to the Venkatesvara temple at Tirumala, which would soon become the most revered religious site of South India. The Sri Vaishnava acharya Ramanuja is credited with the conversion of the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana (originally called Bittideva) from Jainism to Vaishnavism, consolidating
4838-463: The lower classes into the fold of practical Hinduism, and extended to them the right and privilege of knowing God and attaining mukti (salvation). The Pallava dynasty of Tamilakam patronised Vaishnavism. Mahendra Varman built shrines both of Vishnu and Shiva, several of his cave-temples exhibiting shrines to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. In the age of the Pallava domination, which followed immediately, both Vaishnavism and Shaivism flourished, fighting
4920-448: 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
5002-423: 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
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#17327911149935084-430: The names of popular avatars all seen as different aspects of the same supreme being. The Vaishnavite tradition is known for the loving devotion to an avatar of Vishnu (often Krishna), and as such was key to the spread of the Bhakti movement in Indian subcontinent in the 2nd millennium CE. It has four Vedanta -schools of numerous denominations ( sampradaya ): the medieval-era Vishishtadvaita school of Ramanuja ,
5166-434: 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
5248-457: The protection of the good and for the destruction of evil, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being age after age. In Vaishnava theology, such as is presented in the Bhagavata Purana and the Pancaratra , whenever the cosmos is in crisis, typically because the evil has grown stronger and has thrown the cosmos out of its balance, an avatar of Vishnu appears in a material form, to destroy evil and its sources, and restore
5330-479: The religion it had been so ardently promoting. The newly arising regional powers in central and northern India, such as the Aulikaras , the Maukharis , the Maitrakas , the Kalacuris or the Vardhanas preferred adopting Saivism instead, giving a strong impetus to the development of the worship of Shiva , and its ideology of power. Vaisnavism remained strong mainly in the territories which had not been affected by these events: South India and Kashmir . After
5412-442: The religion. Vaishnavism is distinguished from other schools of Hinduism by its primary worship of deities Vishnu and his Avatars as the Supreme forms of God. The ascetic Vishnuswami formed the Rudra-Sampradaya, though the sampradaya is believed to have traced its origins to the Hindu deity Shiva , also known as Rudra , who passed on the knowledge imparted to him by Vishnu, on mankind. According to Vaishnavism, Shiva , who has
5494-403: The same time, they do regard Shiva bhakti (devotion to Shiva) with considerable sympathy, and make a visible effort to keep the Shaivas in countenance. The earliest Alvars go the length of describing Shiva and Vishnu as one, although they do recognise their united form as Vishnu. Srirangam , the site of the largest functioning temple in the world of 600 acres, is devoted to Ranganathaswamy ,
5576-411: 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),
5658-421: The south based its teachings on the Naradiya Pancharatra and the Bhagavata from the north and laid stress on a life of purity, high morality, worship and devotion to only one God. Although the monism of Shankara was greatly appreciated by the intellectual class, the masses came increasingly within the fold of Vishnu. Vaishnavism checked the elaborate rituals, ceremonials, vratas, fasts, and feasts prescribed by
5740-524: The south, the Vadakalai denomination subscribing to Vedanta philosophy and the Tenkalai adhering to regional liturgies known as Prabandham. According to Hardy , there is evidence of early "southern Krishnaism", despite the tendency to allocate the Krishna-traditions to the Northern traditions. South Indian texts show close parallel with the Sanskrit traditions of Krishna and his gopi companions, so ubiquitous in later North Indian text and imagery. Early writings in Tamils ' culture such as Manimekalai and
5822-421: The supreme beings respectively. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 641 million or 67.6% of Hindus. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with worship of Vishnu . It is considered a merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditions, particularly
5904-758: The supreme divine couple Lakshmi Narayana pervades and transcends the entire universe, which is described to be their body. They are described to support all life, both material and spiritual. In this manner, Lakshmi is conceived to be the supreme mother and Narayana as the supreme father of creation. In the Krishnaism group of Vaishnavism traditions, such as the Nimbarka Sampradaya (the first Krishnaite Sampradaya developed by Nimbarka c. 7th century CE), Ekasarana Dharma , Gaudiya Vaishnavism , Mahanubhava , Rudra Sampradaya ( Pushtimarg ), Vaishnava-Sahajiya , and Warkari , devotees worship Krishna as
5986-647: 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 . Vaishnavism Traditional Vaishnavism ( Sanskrit : वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः , romanized : Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ )
6068-532: 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
6150-459: The time of the revival of Brahminism and Hinduism in the north, speculating that Vaishnavism might have penetrated to the south as early as about the first century CE. There also exists secular literature that ascribes the commencement of the tradition in the south to the 3rd century CE. U. V. Swaminathan Aiyar , a scholar of Tamil literature, published the ancient work of the Sangam period known as
6232-534: The twelve Alvars , saints who spread the sect to the common people with their devotional hymns . The temples that the Alvars visited or founded are now known as Divya Desams . Their poems in praise of Vishnu and Krishna in Tamil language are collectively known as Naalayira Divya Prabandha (4000 divine verses). The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism started in the 7th century, but rapidly expanded after
6314-513: 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 ,
6396-529: The universe, and all of empirical reality is God's body. The Vaishnava sampradaya associated with Vallabhacharya is a form of pantheism, in contrast to the other Vaishnavism traditions. The Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Chaitanya, states Schweig, is closer to a polymorphic bi-monotheism because both goddess Radha and god Krishna are simultaneously supreme. Vaishnavism precepts include the avatar (incarnation) doctrine, wherein Vishnu incarnates numerous times, in different forms, to set things right and bring back
6478-644: The verse describing this incident in Bhagavata Purana . It is also believed that Radha is not just one cowherd maiden, but is the origin of all the gopis , or divine personalities that participate in the rasa dance. According to The Bhagavata Purana, there are twenty-two avatars of Vishnu, including Rama and Krishna . The Dashavatara is a later concept. The Pancaratrins follow the vyuha s doctrine, which says that God has four manifestations ( vyuha s), namely Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. These four manifestations represent "the Highest Self,
6560-516: 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
6642-445: The worship of this form of God, it is since Jayadeva wrote the poem Gita Govinda in the twelfth century CE, that the topic of the spiritual love affair between the divine Krishna and his consort Radha, became a theme celebrated throughout India. It is believed that Krishna has left the "circle" of the rasa dance to search for Radha. The Chaitanya school believes that the name and identity of Radha are both revealed and concealed in
6724-753: Was assimilated into non-Vedic Krishnaism and became the equivalent of the Supreme God. The appearance of Krishna as one of the Avatars of Vishnu dates to the period of the Sanskrit epics in the early centuries CE. The Bhagavad Gita —initially, a Krishnaite scripture, according to Friedhelm Hardy —was incorporated into the Mahabharata as a key text for Krishnaism. Finally, the Narayana worshippers were also included, which further brahmanized Vaishnavism. The Nara-Narayana worshippers may have originated in Badari,
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