Teṉkalai — The Southern School of Śrī Vaiṣṇavism
Teṉkalai ('southern tradition'; teṉ = south + kalai = tradition/school) refers to the southern sub-school of Śrī Vaiṣṇavism, centered historically in Śrīraṅgam and associated with the theological lineage of Piḷḷai Lokāchārya (1264–1327 CE), whose prose works in Maṇipravāḷa — especially the Mumukṣuppadi, Śrīvachana Bhūṣaṇam, and Tattva Traya — define the school's characteristic positions.
The Mārjāla-kiśora Nyāya (Cat-young analogy): In teṉkalai theology, the mother cat (Bhagavān) picks up the kitten (the surrendered soul) completely without any grasping effort from the kitten. The soul's role is complete passivity — total reliance on Bhagavān's grace. This is the teṉkalai articulation of prapatti: even the initial impulse toward surrender is Bhagavān's grace working in the soul. The soul contributes nothing; Bhagavān does everything.
Tamil prabandham as primary authority: Teṉkalai theology strongly emphasizes the Divya Prabandham — the 4,000 Maṇipravāḷa compositions of the Āzhvārs — as equally authoritative to the Sanskrit Vedas. The Āzhvārs' direct experience of Bhagavān's saulabhya (accessibility, coming-down-to-us) is the primary testimony for teṉkalai theological positions.
Nirhetu-kṛpā (causeless grace): Teṉkalai theology strongly emphasizes that Bhagavān's grace is entirely nirhetu — without cause, not earned, not triggered by the soul's effort. Bhagavān saves the soul purely out of His own overflowing compassion. Piḷḷai Lokāchārya's Mumukṣuppadi develops this relentlessly.
Liturgy: Teṉkalais place special emphasis on Tamil recitation during worship, with the Divya Prabandham given ritual primacy. The ūrdhva-puṇḍra marks carry red-tinted śrīcūrṇa at the center.