How many types of Vaishnavas are there?

It has four main categories of sampradayas (denominations, sub-schools): the medieval-era Vishishtadvaita school of Ramanuja, the Dvaita school (Tattvavada) of Madhvacharya, the Dvaitadvaita school of Nimbarkacharya, and the Pushtimarg of Vallabhacharya.

How many Vaishnava Sampradayas are there?

Vaishnava sampradaya According to the Padma Purāṇa, one of the eighteen main Purāṇas, there are four Vaishnava sampradāyas, which preserve the fruitful mantras: All mantras which have been given (to disciples) not in an authorised Sampradāya are fruitless.

What is the difference between Vaishnava and Sri Vaishnava?

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.

What are the 3 avatars of Vishnu?

Description of the avatars

  • Matsya: The Fish Avatar.
  • Kurma: The Giant Tortoise Avatar.
  • Varaha: The Giant Boar Avatar.
  • Narasimha: The half-man/half-lion Avatar.
  • Vamana: The Dwarf Avatar.
  • Parashurama: The Warrior Avatar who handled an axe.

Which caste is Vaishnav?

Bairagi Brahmin is a Hindu caste. They are also called Bairagi Vaishnav Brahmin, having different names that are Swami, Mahant, Vaishnav, Vairagi, Ramanandi, Shami,pandey, Bairagi, Vaishnav Brahmin, Pujari. They are Vaishnav, and wear the sacred thread.

What is difference between Smartha and Vaishnava?

Ekadasi has two rules: Smartha and Vaishnava. The Smarta rule is simple – ekadasi should be visible at the time of local sunrise. The vaishnava follows ekadasi that is not contaminated by Dashami thithi. In other words, to the Vaishnavaites, ekadasi should be prevailing two hours before sunrise.

What is Vaishnav caste?

Who is a true Vaishnava?

Those who worship Vishnu or his incarnations are called Vaishnavas. Stricktly speaking, a person who is pure like Vishnu is a Vaishnava. Vishnu represents sattva guna, so a person who has attained to such sattva is a Vaishnava in the true sense.

Are all Vaishnavas vegetarian?

Meat, fish and eggs are forbidden for Vaishnavas. some medicinal value like even wine is used in medicines sometimes. Thus they are taboo for followers of Vedic culture.

Where can I find Vishnu iconography?

Vishnu iconography such as statues and etchings have been found in archaeological sites of Southeast Asia, now predominantly of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. In Thailand, for example, statues of four-armed Vishnu have been found in provinces near Malaysia and dated to be from the 4th to 9th-century, and this mirror those found in ancient India.

What is the Kushana Vishnu iconography?

The Kushana Vishnu iconography featured Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Varada Hasta (boon-giving gesture) as the God’s attributes. This iconography underwent some modifications during the Gupta period when Gada, Shankha, Chakra and a Fruit.

What is Vishnu’s posture in the Vaishnava tradition?

The Vaishnava tradition perceives Vishnu pervading the cosmos by his presence. Accordingly, his images are conceived either as vertical, that is, stretching from the earth into the space – a standing posture; or lying fully stretched horizontally, that is, reclining.

What is the best book to read about Vishnu?

The Buddhist Vishnu: Religious transformation, politics and culture. Columbia University Press. pp. 5–7, 13–27. ISBN 978-0231133234. ^ a b Michel Jacq-Hergoualc’h; Victoria Hobson (Translator) (2002). The Malay Peninsula: Crossroads of the Maritime Silk-Road (100 BC-1300 AD). BRILL Academic. p. xxiii, 116–128. ISBN 978-90-04-11973-4.