Vaishnavism is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism.
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Ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with Vishnu.
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Key texts in Vaishnavism include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Pancaratra texts, Naalayira Divya Prabhandham, and the Bhagavata Purana.
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Krishnaswami Aiyangar states that the lifetime of the Vaishnava Alvars was during the first half of the 12th century, their works flourishing about 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.
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Vaishnavism checked the elaborate rituals, ceremonials, vratas, fasts, and feasts prescribed by the Smritis and Puranas for the daily life of a Hindu, and 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.
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Vaishnavism flourished in predominantly Shaivite Tamil Nadu during the seventh to tenth centuries CE with the twelve Alvars, saints who spread the sect to the common people with their devotional hymns.
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Okita, in contrast, states that the different denominations within Vaishnavism are best described as theism, pantheism and panentheism.
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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.
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Vaishnavism precepts include the avatar doctrine, wherein Vishnu incarnates numerous times, in different forms, to set things right and bring back the balance in the universe.
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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.
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Vaishnavism theology has developed the concept of avatar around Vishnu as the preserver or sustainer.
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Vaishnavism's avataras, asserts Vaishnavism, descend to empower the good and fight evil, thereby restoring Dharma.
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Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Agamas are the scriptural sources of Vaishnavism, while the Bhagavata Purana is a revered and celebrates popular text, parts of which a few scholars such as Dominic Goodall include as a scripture.
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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 the Vedic texts.
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Sri Vaishnavism is a major denomination within Vaishnavism that originated in South India, adopting the prefix Sri as an homage to Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi.
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The Sri Vaishnavism movement grew with its social inclusiveness, where emotional devotion to the personal god has been open without limitation to gender or caste.
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Ramanuja's Sri Vaishnavism subscribes to videhamukti, in contrast to jivanmukti found in other traditions within Hinduism, such as the Smarta and Shaiva traditions.
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The philosophy of Sri Vaishnavism is adhered to and disseminated by the Iyengar community.
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Sadh Vaishnavism is a major denomination within Vaishnavism that originated in Karnataka, South India, adopting the prefix Sadh which means 'true'.
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Sadh Vaishnavism was founded by the thirteenth century philosopher Madhvacharya.
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Philosophically, Sadh Vaishnavism is aligned with Dvaita Vedanta, and regards Madhvacharya as its founder or reformer.
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Influence of Sadh Vaishnavism was most prominent on the Chaitanya school of Bengal Vaishnavism, whose devotees later started the devotional movement on the worship of Krishna as International Society for Krishna Consciousness - known colloquially as the Hare Krishna Movement.
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Gaudiya Vaishnavism, known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism and Hare Krishna, was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India.
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Manipuri Vaishnavism is a regional variant of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with a culture-forming role among the Meitei people in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur.
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Vaishnavism sampradayas subscribe to various philosophies, are similar in some aspects and differ in others.
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Vaishnavism has its own academic wing in University of Madras - Department of Vaishnavism.
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