Vaishnavism


'''Vaishnavism''' is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i.e., incarnations) is worshipped as the supreme God and is a monotheistic faith.

Branches

Major Vaishnava schools of thought: The distinction between this branch and others is made by those who study religion. However it may not always be clear to practising Hindus who often take freely from the practices of the different branches. It is likely that a majority (75-80%) of today's Hindus would consider themselves Vaishnava, if pressed to make a distinction. Of the remainder, most would probably consider themselves Saivites. Vaishnavites, like Saivites, believe that there is only one God, who simultaneously permeates all creation and exists beyond it, being both immanent and transcendent. The concept is in contrast with many Semitic religious traditions, where God is seen as transcendent only. As all other Hindu denominations, Vaishnavism acknowledges the existence of many lower Gods under the Supreme One. These Gods are encompassed by Him, seen as either as manifestations of the Supreme Being or as powerful entities who are permeated by Him, as is all Creation. Vishnu and Shiva are sometimes visualized as a single divinity named Harihara.
Topics in Hinduism
Shruti (Primary Scriptures): VedasUpanishads > Bhagavad GitaItihasa (Ramayana & Mahabharata) > Agamas
Smriti (Other texts): TantrasSutras > PuranasBrahma Sutras > Hatha Yoga Pradipika Yoga Sutra Tirukural
Concepts: AvatarBrahman > Dharma Karma > MokshaMaya > Ishta-DevaMurti > ReincarnationSamsara > Trimurti Turiya
Schools & Systems: Schools of Hinduism (Overview) | Early HinduismSamkhya > NyayaVaisheshika > YogaMimamsa > VedantaTantra > Bhakti
Traditional Practices: Jyotish Ayurveda
Rituals: AartiBhajans > Darshan PujaSatsang > Stotras Yagnya
Gurus and Saints: ShankaraRamanuja >Madhvacharya | Ramakrishna | Vivekananda | Aurobindo | Ramana Maharshi Chinmayananda Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Denominations: Vaishnavism ShaktismMadhva > SmartismAgama Hindu Dharma > Contemporary Hindu movements Survey of Hindu organisations
Category:Hinduism pl:Wisznuizm

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