Vaishnavism or Vishnu Tradition

The same can best be described as Hari (Sanskrit: हरि) means he who attracts all things to Himself. It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, God who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress.

Vaishnavism is one of the most historically significant sects of Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism. The belief system of the Vaishnavs regards Lord Vishnu and his avatars as the ultimate forms of Brahman or the Supreme Soul. A devotee of Vishnu is called a Vaishnava. The devotional Vaishnava literature that emerged in Sanskrit and vernacular writings from the 10th through the 16th century continues to be a part of Vaishnava worship. However, it is often supplemented by later philosophical and narrative texts, both written and oral.

One interesting fact about the Vaishnava religion is that it's the only religion on the planet that can tell you who God is, what He looks like, what He does, where He lives, who His friends and girlfriends are, how and why He has created the world, who and what the soul is, and how everything relates.

Krishna says:

My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart this most intimate knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence. (Bg. 9.1)

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed. (Bg. 9.2)

The Vaishnav movement is quite popular, and many Hindus associate themselves with its ideologies and abide by its doctrines. Let's take a look at some intriguing facts about Vaishnavism and its legacy –

1. The Vaishnavs base their teachings on religious scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Gita Govinda, Bhagavata Purana, and the Vishnu Samhita. These scriptures are considered to be the backbone of the Vaishnavism movement.

2. According to Vaishnavism, Lord Vishnu is the ultimate God who embodies six great qualities; supreme strength, power, knowledge, majesty, unlimited energy, and absolute self-sufficiency.

3. Vaishnavism considers Lord Krishna and Lord Rama as the two most important forms of Lord Vishnu. It also acknowledges the existence of other Gods like Shiva, Shakti, and Ganesh. Several sub-sects of Vaishnavism consider Narayana, Krishna, or Rama the principal Gods.

4. Several sources confirm that the Vaishnav movement is at least 5000 years old. It was popularized by the 12 Alwar sages of southern India and Ramanuja, their leader, who was a great Hindu scholar of the Middle Ages. There are four main denominations of Sampradayas of Vaishnavism; Sri, Brahma, Rudra, and Kumara.

5. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the legendary Hindu preacher from Bengal, also taught Vaishnav ideologies to the masses. He is seen as the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, which acknowledges Krishna as the Swaym Bhagwan.

6. Vaishnavism is non-ascetic, unlike some other sects of Hinduism. It focuses on monastic traditions and highlights the importance of meditation and bhakti geet or devotional poems/songs.

7. One of the highlights of Vaishnavism is the Bhakti movement, which was responsible for spreading the Hindu dharma across the country when foreign intruders threatened the very identity of Indian society.

For Vaishnavas, absolute reality (brahman) is manifested in Vishnu, who is incarnated in Rama, Krishna, and other avatars. Through his avatars, Vishnu defends traditional righteousness in keeping with the moral law (dharma). The most popular avatars are Rama and Krishna. Rama is often depicted in Hindu art and literature with his consort Sita. Krishna manifests his identity as Vishnu to his warrior friend Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. Still, he is often portrayed as a handsome youth in the company of Radha or other gopis (milkmaids).

The various sects of worshippers of Vishnu pray to him in different ways. For some, the goal of religious devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu is liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). For others, it is health and prosperity in this life, good crops, business success, or thriving children. Most Vaishnavas hope to spend eternity in Vishnu's presence after death.

Vaishnavism comprises many sects and groups that differ in their interpretation of the relationship between the individual and God. The Srivaishnava sect, for example, emphasizes the doctrine of vishishtadvaita ("qualified nondualism") of Ramanuja, according to which, although the differentiated phenomenal world is illusory (Maya), it is nevertheless the medium through which devotees may gain access to God. Another group professes the dvaita ("dualism") of the philosopher Madhva, the belief that God and the soul are separate entities and that the soul's existence depends on God. The Pushtimarg sect maintains the shuddhadvaita ("pure nondualism") doctrine of the theologian Vallabhacharya, which does not declare the phenomenal world an illusion. The Gaudiya sect, founded by Chaitanya, teaches achintya-bhedabheda ("inconceivable duality and nonduality"), the belief that the relation between God and the world is beyond the scope of human comprehension. In addition to these philosophical sects, many other Vaishnava groups are scattered throughout India, often centered in local temples or shrines.