The Tradition
Śrīvaiṣṇavam is the name of the specific religious tradition (sampradāya) that:
- Follows the philosophy of Viśiṣṭādvaita as systematized by Rāmānuja
- Venerates the twelve Āzhvārs and their Nālāyira Divya Prabandham as the Tamil Veda
- Holds to the Ubhaya Vedānta principle (equal authority of Sanskrit and Tamil scripture)
- Practices prapatti and bhakti-yoga as the means to liberation
- Traces its lineage through an unbroken ācārya-paramparā from Bhagavān Himself
Its Two Streams
From the 13th century CE, Śrīvaiṣṇavam has two streams:
- Vaḍakalai — Northern school; follows Vedānta Deśika; emphasizes Vedic authority and Dvaya mantra; monkey-grip (markaṭa-nyāya) in prapatti
- Teṅkalai — Southern school; follows Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ; emphasizes Āzhvār authority and Ācārya-abhimānam; cat-grip (māṛjāla-nyāya) in prapatti
Heartland and Global Presence
Śrīvaiṣṇavam is centered in Tamil Nadu (Śrī Raṅgam, Kāñcīpuram, Tirumalai) with significant communities worldwide.