- Historical Vishnuism
Historical Vishnuism as early worship of the deity
Vishnu is one of the historical components, branches or origins of the contemporary and earlyVaishnavism ,cite book |author=Beck, Guy L. |title=Sonic theology: Hinduism and sacred sound |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |location=Columbia, S.C |year=1993 |pages=p. 170 |isbn=0-87249-855-7] which was subject of considerable study,cite book
author = Gonda, J.
year = 1993
title = Aspects of Early Visnuism
publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
isbn = ] and often showing that Vishnuism is a distinctive worship — a sect. [Zénaïde Alexeïevna Ragozin, T"he Story of Vedic India as Embodied Principally in the Rig-Veda", G. P. Putnam's sons, 1895, [http://books.google.co.in/books?ei=Bo-TSOnkIZ7QigHPn4jOCA&client=firefox-a&id=QslGAAAAIAAJ&dq=Vishnu+Rig+Veda+worship+Vishnuism&q=Vishnuism+as+a+distinctive+worship&pgis=1#search p. 328] ] The tradition was forming in the context ofPuranic Vaisnavism evolving in the process of revitalizing religion of Brahmanism, of which Vishnuism is believed to be a part of, through assimilating a number of orthodox, non-conformist and tribal elements; the absorption of mother goddess worship, into what now known a Vaishnavasampradaya s.cite book |author=Suvira Jaiswal |title=The Origin and Development of Vaisnavism: Vaisnavism from 200 BC to AD 500 |publisher=South Asia Books |location=Columbia, Mo |year=1981 |pages= |isbn=0-8364-5591-6] It is a tradition of thehistorical Vedic religion and is distinguished from other historic schools later forming theVaishnavism by its primary worship ofVishnu , later identified as the source of allavatar s.cite book
author = Goswami, B.K.
year = 1965
title = The Bhakti Cult in Ancient India
publisher = Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office
isbn = ] It was later expressed as a historically the first structured Vaishnava religion as the "Vishnuism, in a word, is the only cultivated native sectarian native religion of India." [Hopkins,"The Religions of India", p.690] A number of separate cults or traditions merged with each representing the names of god ofVaishnavism . In contemporary Vaishnavism God is also known asNarayana ,Vasudeva andKrishna and behind each of those names is a devine figure with attributed supremacy inVaishnavism , that relates to historic traditions that some scholars theorize to be separate and distinct historically.cite book
author=Matchett, Freda
title=Krsna, Lord or Avatara? the relationship between Krsna and Visnu: in the context of the Avatara myth as presented by the Harivamsa, the Visnupurana and the Bhagavatapurana
publisher=Routledge
location=Surrey
year=2000
pages=254
isbn=0-7007-1281-X
oclc=
doi=
accessdate=p. 4] It is distinct fromKrishnaism , as in the revival ofBhakti , found in theBhagavata it is referred as Vishnuism. [ [http://www.jstor.org/pss/2753385 Review: by Kenneth Scott Latourette] India and Christendom: The Historical Connections between Their Religions. by Richard Garbe; Lydia Gillingham Robinson Pacific Affairs, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Autumn, 1961), pp. 317-318.]The followers of Vaishnavism are referred to as "Vaishnava(s)" or "Vaishnavites". According to recent statistics, a majority of
Hindu s are Vaishnavas, [ [http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Hinduism Major Branches - Hinduism] from adherents.com ] with the vast majority living inIndia . The name Vaishnavite is a direct translation of Vishnite and often lead to confusion. Some sources identify Visnuism with Vaishnavism, while others prefer to distinguish Vishnuism from Krishnaism and Ramaism.In his "The Religions of India", Edward Washburn Hopkins presents an accepted distinction as to the assumption that Vishnuism is associated with Vedic
brahmanism , and was part ofbrahmanism . Krishnaism was adopted much later, and it is for this reason, amongst others, that despite its modern iniquitiesSiva has appealed more to thebrahmana s than Krishna. Its only later that Vishnuism merged with Krishnaism. [Hopkins,"The Religions of India", p. 530: "When, however, pantheism, nay, even Vishnuism, or still more, Krishnaism, was an accepted fact upon what, then, was the wisdom of the priest expended?"]Etymology
The term "Vaishnavism" and "Vishnuism", entered the English language in the 19th century, and was formed by attaching the suffix "
-ism " toSanskrit "Vaishnava" or "Vishnu" (IAST : IAST|vaiṣṇava or IAST|viṣṇu), where first is the "vriddhi " form of the second meaning "relating, belonging, or sacred to Vishnu" or "a worshiper or follower of Vishnu". ["Vaishnavism" in cite book |last= Simpson|first= John (Ed)| authorlink = John Simpson (lexicographer)| coauthors= Weiner, Edmund (Ed.)|title=Oxford English Dictionary |edition= Second edition|year=1989 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location= USA |isbn= 0198611862] However "Vaishnava" may also refer to worshiper ofRama ,Nrisimha orKrishna , where as "Vishuite" more often refers to one who primerly worships Vishnu.Principal beliefs
Vishnu: The Supreme
The principal belief of Vishnuism is the identification of
Vishnu as supreme or principal worship of him as was the case in the Historical Vedic times. Hopiks writes: there is a passage like the great Ka hymn of theRig Veda , 'whom as god shall one worship?' The sages say to Vishnu: "All men worship thee;" [Edward Washburn Hopkins, [http://books.google.com/books?id=Dj33XvXqJO8C&pg=PA581&dq=Vishnu+Rig+Veda+worship+Vishnuism&ei=Bo-TSOnkIZ7QigHPn4jOCA&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3fNpHXjhFT0D1d-dEyGGYPiBOY4g The Religions of India p. 581] ] In the Rig Veda he is referred by his name of "trivikrama" (who took three strides) and is believed by some scholars as the starting point of the evidence of such worship.History of Vishnu-centered Vaishnavism
Number of stages to the history of Vaishnavism place worship of Vishnu in different perspective according to the different theories by different authors. On the first stage, in its twofold aspect - historic and philosophical, is referred as by some as Bhagavata and is believed to be founded by
Krishna-Vasudeva , ofYadava tribe. [Chrierson, "Narayani and the Bhagavatas", p. 3] [ Bhandakar, "Report on the Search for Sanskrit Manuscripts," pp. 72-74] [Grierson, "Monotheistic Religion of Anscient India",p. 6] The philosophical basis of this stage was that supreme being is eternal, infinite and full of grace, and that salvation consisted in a life of perpetual bliss near the Lord. [http://books.google.com/books?id=ot8YesdjROQC&pg=PA1077&dq=Visnu+Bhagavatism&lr=&ei=1SOSSMrcLYa4jgGcw_T5DA&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U0bwmnAGaoSWdFEIM6tqBiPfMbPzQ#PPA1076,M1 Encyclopaedia of Hinduism] , (ed) N.K. Singh, p.1076] During this stage some believe that Pancaratra entered into alliance with ancientSamkhya yogic system, in line with tendency to combine philosophy with religion. [Garbe, "Bhagavad Gita", p. 28] It is this period that is described as the stage when the cult ofNarayana was absorbed into church of Krishna-Vasudeva. According to Grierson's views at this stageBhagavatism became a cult of Brahmanised anti-Brahmanists. [Chrierson, "Narayani and the Bhagavatas", p. 7] Hopkins often remarked on the often expressed view, that Bhagavad Gita bears witness to the compromise thus arrived at betweenBrahmanism andBhagavatism - "it is a Krishnaite version of a Vishnuite poem. [Hopkins, "Religions of India", p. 389] For this reason Krishna, the personal name ofVasudeva , was given "admission" into the circle of Brahminical gods as anavatara ofVishnu .Adoption of Buddha as one of the
avatara s of Vishnu under Bhagavatism believed to be similarly a canalizing factor in assimilation in relationships duringGupta period 330 -550 C.E. ThusMahayana Buddhism is sometimes called "Buddha-Bhagavatism".cite book |author=Hāṇḍā, Omacanda |title=Buddhist Art & Antiquities of Himachal Pradesh: Up to 8th Century A.D. |publisher=South Asia Books |location=Columbia, Mo |year=1994 |pages=p. 40 |isbn=81-85182-99-X] It is in this period that it is commonly accepted among academics that the concept ofavatara ofVishnu was fully developed. [cite web
url=http://www.chandraiashistory.com/INDIAN%20HISTORY%202003.htm
title=CIH - Read history make history
publisher=www.chandraiashistory.com
accessdate=2008-08-01
last= Faculty For Indian History(Prabha IAS-IPS Coaching Centre)Arumbakkam, Chennai
first=INDIAN HISTORY - 2003 exams test papers
quote = 19) The crystallization of the Avatara Concept and the worship of the incarnations of Vishnu were features of Bhagavatism during the answer (d) Gupta period]
Thus complex religion of Vaishnavism is often viewed as a synthesis of the worship of gods Vishnu,
Narayana ,Vasudeva andKrishna which is archived by the time ofBhagavad Gita (c. 4 BCE to 3 century CE). Worship of Vishnu is called Vishnuism and the monotheistic worship of Vishnu was already well developed in the period of theItihasa s. [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9074641/Vaishnavism britannica.com] ]This form of Vaishnavism flourished in
South India during the seventh to tenth centuries CE, and is still commonplace, especially inTamil Nadu , as a result of the twelveAlvars , saints who spread the sect to the common people with their devotional himns. The temples which the Alvars visited or founded are now known asDivya Desams . Their poems in praise ofVishnu andKrishna inTamil language are collectively known as "Naalayira" (Divya Prabandha ).cite book
author = Annangaracariyar, P.B.
year = 1971
title = Nalayira tivviyap pirapantam
publisher = Kanci: VN Tevanatan
isbn = ] cite journal
author = Seth, K.P.
year = 1962
title = Bhakti in Alvar Saints
journal = The University Journal of Philosophy]ee also
*
Vaikhanasas
*Shaivism
*Shaktism
*Sri Sampradaya References
External links
* [http://www.dvaita.org dvaita.org - Overview of Dvaita Siddhantha as propounded by Shri Madhvacharya]
* [http://www.srivaishnavan.com Ramanuja and Srivaishnavism] (srivaishnavan.com)
* [http://www.sadagopan.org/ Online library of articles on Vaishnavism and the Ramanuja Sampradaya] (sadagopan.org)
* [http://www.chinnajeeyar.org/QAs/QAPage2.asp chinnajeeyar.org - Q & A for major Sri Vaishnava issues]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia Sripedia - general information on Sri Vaishnavism]
* [http://www.prapatti.com/index.html prapatti.com - Wonderful site for Sri Vaishnava and Vedic Mantras, Stotram and other prayes]
* [http://srimatham.com srimatham.com - Free downloads on basic tenets of Sri Vaishnavism]
* [http://swamydesika.tripod.com/index_text.html#top swamydesika.tripod.com - Good site for info. on Vedanta Desika and his writings]
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