Shrivaishnava

Shrivaishnava, member of a Hindu sect, most numerous in South India, that pays allegiance to the god Vishnu and follows the teachings of the philosopher Ramanuja (c. 1017–1137). “Shri” refers to Vishnu’s consort, also called Lakshmi, to whom Vishnu first taught the doctrine. The sect bases its philosophical doctrine upon the Shribhashya (“Beautiful Commentary”) of Ramanuja, an exposition of the Vedanta-sutras.

The sect reached its peak in the late 10th or 11th century, when Nathamuni, the first acharya (“teacher”) of the group, introduced into the temple service the passionate devotional hymns of the Alvars (a group of mystics). Nathamuni also founded a Sanskrit-Tamil school at Srirangam (Tamil Nadu state), which continues to be a great Vaishnavite centre in South India.

Toward the end of the 14th century, a controversy arose that split the Shrivaishnavas into their present two subsects, the Vadakalai (or school of northern learning), which relied more on the Sanskrit scriptures, and the Tenkalai (or school of southern learning), which stressed the Tamil hymns of the Alvars.

The Shrivaishnavas worship only Vishnu and his consorts and attendants and do not acknowledge Krishna’s mistress Radha. Brahman members take the lead in the strict observance of caste regulations in such matters as diet and intercaste dining. Shrivaishnava Brahmans are much given to scholarly pursuits and have earned for themselves the honorary title of acharya, or, in Tamil, ayyangar, often spelled iyengar.