Tenkalai

Tenkalai, one of two Hindu subsects of the Shrivaishnava, the other being the Vadakalai. Though the two sects use both Sanskrit and Tamil scriptures and centre their worship on Vishnu, the Tenkalai places greater reliance on the Tamil language and the Nalayira Prabandham, a collection of hymns by the Alvars, a group of South Indian mystics. The Tenkalai grew apart from the Vadakalai in the 14th century.

The main doctrinal difference between the two sects centres on the question of Vishnu’s grace. The Tenkalai believes that the process of final deliverance begins with Vishnu and that the devotee need not make any effort beyond surrendering himself to Vishnu’s will. It uses as an illustration the helplessness and complete dependence of a kitten being carried by its mother; hence, its doctrine is known as marjara-nyaya (“the analogy of the cat”). The two schools also differ in their views concerning Vishnu’s consort, Lakshmi (Shri). The Tenkalai holds that she is finite, though divine, and can act only as a mediator between the devotee and Vishnu.

Pillai Lokacharya is commonly regarded as the founder of the Tenkalai sect, and Manavala, or Varavara Muni (1370–1443), is regarded as its most important leader. The sect’s main centre is at Nanganur, near Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu state), and the Tenkalai are referred to as the southern school of the Shrivaishnava.