VAISHNAVA, IIindu sectarians, followers of Vishnu. All Vaishnava sects identify Vishnu with Brahma. The subdivisions of the sect are the Bhakta, Ilhagavata, Vaishnava, Chakrina or l'ancha Ratrava, Vaikhanasa, and Karmahina; each of these again being divided into a practical Karma and a speculative Inyana or G'niana portion. The great teachers have been Ramanuja, Ramanand. Kabir, Asanand, Rai DRS, Sena, Dhunna, l'ipa, Sur Das, Tulsi Das, Harischttndra, Vallabha charya. Vishnu is believed to have become re peatedly incarnate. Vishnu is now but seldom worshipped, and the sects attach themselves to the worship of Rama and his strife Sita, and to Krishna with his mistress Radha, and to local deities whom the worshippers believe to be incar nations of this deity.
The four principal sects were founded by Ramanuja, Madhava, Chaitanya, and Vallabha. The Ramanuja sect was again divided into two sub - sects, Vadagalai and Tenkalai. The Val labha sect hold that the way to salvation was through eating and drinking and enjoying the good things of life. In opposition to this sensual view of religion, a modem reformer, Swami Narayana, founded a new sect, and wrote his Sikshapatri, consisting of 212 precepts, which give a good idea of tho purer side of Vaishnaism.
Amongst Vaishnava Hindus, in the south of India, the Suttuthavan, TAIL, are rigid Vaishnavi; are to the Vaishnavi what tho Visa Saiva aro to the Saivavi. They are flower -selling minstrels and vagrant mendicants. They are said to have a communism of women, but if so, the practice is unknown to their neighbours.
In Bengal, one-fifth of the population are worshippers of Vishnu in the form of Krishna, and the followers of Ramanand and Kabir are the principal subdivisions of this sub-sect.
The Chamn Dasi worship Krialout and Radha. It was founded by Charan Das, who lived in the reign of the second Alantgir, and was a merchant of the Dhusar tribe, a resident of Deh His followers are both clerical and secular. At Dellli is the Samadh or inonument of the founder.
The division of Goc.alast'ha, or worshippers of Gocal or Krishna, is sulxlivided into three:— 1. Exclusively worship Krishna as Vishnu himself ; this is genemlly deemed the true and orthodox Vaishnava.
2. Exclusively worship Radha at; the sakti of Krishna or Vishnu; this sect is called Radha Vallabhi.
3. Worship Krishna and Radha conjointly.
As the Saiva has a fourth undivided sect in the Ganapatya, so the Vaishnava has a fourth un divided sect in the Bhagavata, who recognise all divinities equally.
Most of these comprise a number of sub divisions, and besides these acknowledged classifi cations, many individual mendicants are to be found all over India who can scarcely be included within the limits of any of them exercising a sort of independence both in thought and act, and attached very loosely, if at all, to any of the popular schismatical sects.
In the south of the Peninsula of India, tho Vaishnava have separated into the Tengala and Vadagala sects. The Tengala follow the precepts of Manavala Manumi or Ramyaja Matri, and the Vadag,ala. claim Vedantacharya or Vedanta Desika as their expounder. Both of these holy men were pupils of the same teacher, Ramanuja Charya. Botia sections speak respectfully of the other ; both sects worship Vishnu, and, with some minor differences, use the same rites; neverthe less occasionally, at the great festivals, disputes between the two sects often run high, with rioting and bloodshed ; also, if of the same caste, they eat together and intermanT, so that the points of difference apparently cannot be of vital import ance, but among no other sects have the quarrels been so frequent and so bitter. Since A.D. 1830, in Madras city, owing to the care bestowed by Mr. Edward Elliot, the chief magistrate of police, violence has been put a stop to. The words Tencalei and Vadacalei meau Southern Veda and Northern Veda, and it is surmised that the dis putes originated from the assumption by Northern Bmhmans of authority over the Southern V2tish nava, and attempts to interfere with their customs and rites. The sects themselves aro unable to make the causes of dispute intelligible, but all ca.stes of Hindus are accustomed, by marks ou their foreheads, to indicate the sect to which they belong. Accordingly, all Vaishnava mark a trident-like longitudinal mark ; but the Tengala commence the middle line a little way down the nose, and the Vadagala only from the root of the nose. Vaishnava women do not make a trident mark, but ouly a single upright line from the nose to the hair. The Tengala or Southern Veda sect are the most numerous in the southern provinces.