Living beings are essentially governed by the rhythms of sun, moon and stars in the subtle ways. The basic unit of living beings, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule carries blue print of individual characteristics accumulated in millions of years. Molecule can be further break down into atoms. Each atom seems to be like a whirlpool of centre where cosmic forces are focussed. Hence, each particle in the universe is connected to the infinite.

The four paths of yoga can be represented in the deities of panch-parmeshwar (five deities in Hinduism – Sun, Ganesh, Shiva, Shakti and Vishnu). Sun has been termed as biggest karma yogi as it rises & sets without any break (Karma yoga). Ganesh ji can be a symbol of intellect (Jnana Yoga). Shiva & Shakti are the essence of Kriya Yoga. Bhakti movement and its various sects revolve around Bhagwan Vishnu and his avatars. Daily movement of sun (Rising sun, midday and setting) is also symbolized as the trinity (Brahma – the creator, Vishnu – the sustainer and Shiva – the destroyer to complete the cycle of universe). All forms of yoga develop willpower. All the different yogic paths mutually reinforce each other.      

Yoga means union, the union between the limited self (Jiva) and the cosmic self (Atman). The path of yoga is to explore the deeper layers of mind viz. sub-conscious realms of mind, unconscious realms of mind. Yoga aims to bring about total harmony between one’s fundamental drives, emotions, feelings, intellect, will and one’s interpersonal and social relationships. Hence, it tends to bring about mental peace and tranquillity as well as physical relaxation.
 
Different Paths & one soul:
There are so many paths of yoga such as Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, Raja yoga, Hatha yoga, mantra yoga, Kundalini yoga, Dhyana yoga, Swara yoga, Laya yoga, Kriya yoga etc. But, all paths of yoga incorporate action, devotion, introspection, benevolence & enquiry and aim at physical health, mental peace and higher awareness. Swami Sivananda said that one should: “Serve, Love, Give, Meditate, and Realize”. All forms of yoga develop willpower. All the different yogic paths mutually reinforce each other. In hatha yoga, the mind is made one-pointed by awareness of the breath or different parts of the body. In raja yoga the mind is made one-pointed by awareness of a fixed symbol or a psychic centre. In jnana yoga the mind is made one-pointed by total absorption in an enquiry. In karma yoga the mind becomes concentrated by complete absorption in one’s work. In bhakti yoga the same result, namely one-pointedness of the mind, is achieved through love and devotion.
 
Salient features of different paths of Yoga:
Karma Yoga:
It is the path of activity or action. By the very nature, everybody is forced to perform actions. By totally absorbing the self in the work at hand, we tend to reduce his individuality or ego. In Karma yoga, one surrenders ego when one ceases to be the doer. The detachment from results (good or bad) leads to less emotional and mental upsets in the life. When work is done for a higher or spiritual purpose then it becomes karma yoga. The action is same, but the motive is different. The attitude must change. Higher states of karma yoga become meditation.  Salient features are as under -

1. Work & witness – Separating “self” from body. actions happen through him. His body and mind work, he (Self) does not. Shree Krishna says in Bhagavat Gita, do not be attached to inaction, perform action; He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is a wise man; he is a yogi. The subconscious realms of the mind are continuous hive of activity. Hence, don’t renounce work or everyday life. It is not necessary. Rather renounce attachment to the fruits of the endeavours. Try to practice selfless work. Ashtavakra Gita says, the enlightened one neither avoids the crowd, nor seeks the forest.
2. Eliminating narrow selfishness - Motto to give – give – and give and not take – take and take.
3. Attachment brings pain and misery – One may expect fruits of the work done in particular form but when results are not as desired, it brings pain & misery.
4. Thoughts & actions – Selfless, harmonious & dharmic thoughts and actions lead to the influx of higher awareness.

 
Bhakti Yoga:
To gain lasting peace in life it is not sufficient to attain perfect physical health and some control over thoughts. The emotions must also be transformed in accord with every action and thought. Without gaining emotional harmony and one-pointedness it is impossible to gain mental and physical harmony. Bhakti yoga is the powerful means of harmonizing the emotions. It is path of channelling emotions into devotion. Bhakti comes from the heart, not the mouth or the head. The bhakta absorbs himself completely in his object of devotion, losing his individuality or ego. Emotional and mental problem disappears.
 
Faith (Shraddha) and Bhakti are different. Faith implies that one believes in something. Bhakti is an experience. If one is emotionally inclined, then one can follow the path of Bhakti yoga. This involves intense concentration of one’s entire being on an object of devotion. This leads to a transcendental experience of overwhelming bhakti. Bhakti is both the means and the expression of higher awareness. Great works are an expression of the heart. The seed of bhakti lies in the heart of every person. Each person is potentially a bhakta.
 
As Swami Sivananda said: “Love in the law of life. Love means constant awareness. Devotion means that there will be unceasing thirst, unforgettable, remembrance and unswerving aspiration to unite with one’s ishta. Love has two forms – ego-centred love (in which one loves another person, deity, saint or whatever with the expectation of love in return) and egoless love (without any expectation of love in return, that is bhakti). Ego-centred love will take one to the finite. Egoless love leads to infinite. Ego-centred love tends to quickly subside with time, whereas bhakti increases and grows with every passing minute. The burning aspiration for the supreme and when thought is continuous, then there arises unspeakable love and bliss. This is intense bhakti.
 
Bhakti can be towards anything…Krishna, Christ, Rama… anything that spontaneously creates feeling of devotion from the heart. It should be something that one cannot stop thinking about. If one is a devotee of Krishna, then one can try to see Krishna, in form or essence, in everything. This is love of the divine in everything (madhura Bhakti). This leads to freedom from hatred, envy, malice, self-conceit. Blindly following rituals without any real feeling, is exactly opposite to the purpose of worship and bhakti.
 
All the paths of yoga aim at reducing and eventually eliminating the compulsive grip of mind – ego. Bhakti does this by relegating all one’s impulses towards the object of bhakti. This eradicates the fluctuation of the mind and induce one-pointedness. In Uddhava Gita, Krishna said: just as fire steadily grows from a small flame to a blazing fire and burns fuel to ashes, so does devotion to me, blaze forth and consume all obstacles. This makes the mind one-pointed and the fit receiver for the grace of illumination and bliss. Prayer combined with devotion helps to purify the mind and reduce the power of the ego. The greater the level of bhakti, the less the ego.
 
The path of bhakti provides a perfect method of expressing the unruly emotions. The essence of karma yoga is awareness, detachment and renunciation of the fruits of action. When bhakti and karma yoga are combined, it becomes almost easy to renounce attachment to the fruits or rewards of one’s actions. All rewards, praise and fruits of one’s work are dedicated to the object of devotion. This is the way to rapidly harmonize the mind and reduce egoism. If one adopts the following attitude: “I do not serve…. the Supreme along serves. It is feeling and sincerity which is important. A poor person can offer even meanest object as devotion with feeling & sincerity, is better than a rich person who gives vast wealth, but without slightest devotion.
 
The essence of devotion to Krishna is summed up in the Uddhava Gita when Krishna says: “All the desires, which are rooted in the heart of the sage who worships me with the yoga and devotion, gradually wilt away and when he realizes me, the knot of ignorance which is lodged in the heart is destroyed. All his doubts are annihilated and his stock of karma is exhausted. Therefore, by bhakti yoga my devotee gains all that is gained by the other paths of yoga and by austerities, dispassion, charitable acts and pilgrimages.” Shankaracharya points out: “the characteristics of pure sattva are cheerfulness, realization of one’s self, peace, contentment, bliss and steady bhakti towards atman, by which the aspirant enjoys eternal bliss,” the cleaner the mind the greater the flow of bhakti and the mind becomes intensely one-pointed.
 
The sadhana of the great bhakta Ramdas, mantra upasana included four steps –

1. Continuous mental and verbal chanting of a mantra. In his case it was “Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram.”
2. Visualization of the form of the guru (deity) in the heart.
3. Identification of every object on which the mind dwells with divinity. Whenever one think of, remember that it is the form of supreme.
4. Observation of the mind. Take the attitude of watching the processes of the mind. This is awareness.
5. When the mind is calm, one-pointed and receptive, the grace can arise, bringing with it transcendental knowledge.
6. Bhakti brings satisfaction of all desires. Bhakta surrenders to the divine will. Everything that happens, whether pleasure or pain, is seen as the divine law. All work, actions and experiences are regarded as tests and trials of the divine process, as a means to remove imperfections.

 
Jnana Yoga:
This is the path of Intuitive knowledge. In Sanskrit, jnana means knowledge. It means both knowledge acquired from outside since birth by listening, reading and watching, knowledge attained inside i.e., intuitive or illuminative knowledge. Jnana does not mean intellectual or logical knowledge.
 
Jnana yoga requires to throw all concepts, dogmas, ideas and believe in the truth realized through personal experience. It requires obsession for answers to the enquiries, 24*7. Ask question: what is the thing called ‘I’; what is consciousness; is there any truth in the atma; why I should believe. The success depends on the intensity of the purpose to pursue the enquiries.
 
The foundation of jnana yoga is that one should know and feel the limitations of intellectual thought. Examining any of the subject logically as well as contrary to it i.e., opposite of logical conclusion. The result will erode the prestige of intellect. Intense reflection on the subject reveals higher truth through intuitive flashes in relaxed mind. In Jnana yoga, one surrender ego by intuitive realization that the ego is not the totality of the Being.
 
Raja Yoga:
This is path of Introspection. One attempts to explore the different realms of the mind: conscious, subconscious, unconscious and beyond. The perception of external objects is cut off and directed towards inside. In Raja yoga, the surrender of ego is attained by understanding the vast underlying substratum of each human being and every manifested object. It has many forms -   

1. Patanjali Yoga – it consists of eight limbs of realizations – Yama (self-restraint), Nyamas (self-observances), Asanas (postures), Pranayama (regulation of pranic energy), Pratyahara (dissociation of consciousness with the outside environment), Dharna (consciousness), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (Identification with pure consciousness).
2. Kundalini or Laya Yoga – It is a system concerned with the awakening of the pranic or psychic centres known as chakras. These chakras are centres of bioplasmic energy. A force symbolized by the kundalini; a serpent resides in the lower region of the trunk. On awakening of kundalini, one attains higher awareness.
3. Mantra or Japa Yoga - Yoga of sound. Different sounds produce different effects. Special sound mantras evoke mental and psychic manifestations. A particular mantra, when repeated again and again produces tranquillity, concentration and awareness of the inner processes of mind.
4. Dhyana Yoga – Path of meditation.
5. Hatha yoga – Ha means sun and Tha means moon. Hatha Yoga integrates and balances the two sides of the body. The right nostril is connected with the sun aspect; the left nostril is associated with moon aspect. The moon rules over the mental functions, while the sun controls the vital and physical functions. The two nostrils have a deeper association with the flow of prana within our being. If the sun flow is pre-dominant, there is a tendency towards extroversion and physical aspects. If the moon flow is predominant, then one tends to think too much. Hatha yoga rests on the premise that if the mind can influence the body, then the converse is equally true. Path of balancing physical, mental & subtle forces.
6. Kriya Yoga – Yogic path of movement and awareness. It aims at to bring awareness of the processes of the inner environment of man.

 
Reference: A systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya – by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Kriya Yoga
Past experiences in previous births & this birth accumulate impressions (Samskaras) of fear, hatred, dislike, jealousy, complexes etc. in subconscious layers of the mind, which produce several ego-centric or selfish tendencies. Further, in modern lifestyle, the external emergency situations are rampant. The ego-centric tendencies determine actions and reactions in different life situations.
The two systems in brain - sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems, mobilise heartbeat, breathing rate, raises body temperature to meet the body needs in response to external events & internal actions. The former speeds up and the latter slows down the processes of life. Speeding up of the body’s processes are the root cause of mental and physical tension. These tensions result into emotional responses. With emotional responses, adrenalin is automatically injected into blood stream from the adrenal glands. The adrenalin causes contraction of muscles, constriction of blood vessels, increases the heart and respiratory rates, speed up thought process and so on. The over-activation of the muscles without the corresponding muscular activity results in a continual drain of energy from the body. This leads to malfunctioning of several organs and many modern ailments – diabetes, sexual sterility, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart diseases etc.
Unless the mental cleaning is done, the ego centric actions will not disappear. Kriya yoga aims at rooting out the pseudo ego which separates individual from self (universal consciousness). It integrates head, heart & hands (thoughts, words and deeds). It balances the body, mind and Prana and brings harmony between positive and negative aspects. Outer events will be clearly perceived, but without the usual negative and adverse repercussions. Due to progressive surrender of their being, their ego, divinity descends. The practice of Kriya yoga realizes that the union already existing.
Kriya yoga needs mental purity, patience, silence (mental quietude & avoidance of unnecessary talks), discipline and transformation (non-violence), truthfulness, equanimity, compassion, non-stealing, self-control and moderation with respect to sex, food and talk.

What is Kriya Yoga:
Kriya Yoga, the words are derived from the Sanskrit language – Kri refers to “action”, Ya refers to “awareness” and Yoga refers to "to attach, join, harness, yoke". Kriya Yoga is scientific techniques of God-realization.
  
When it originated:
Shree Krishna informed in chapter 4 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita that he revealed this immortal Yoga to Vivasvan (Sun-god); Vivasvan conveyed it to Manu (his son); and Manu imparted it to (his son) Iksvaku (1) (Like this, it transmitted). Kriya Yoga was well known in ancient times, but was eventually lost. Rishi Patanjali (between the 4th century BC - 2th century AD) compiled this entire science into eight limbs. This lost science was re-introduced by Mahavatar Babaji through Lahiri Mahasaya in the nineteenth century.
 
Why Kriya Yoga:

1. The practices done in Kriya yoga transform the whole life into a continuous expression of joy, bliss and wisdom. It brings tranquillity in mind.
2. It refines the whole being, transform tamas into sattva, whittle away fears, phobias, conflicts, depressions, false ideas, etc.
3. It disconnects one’s awareness from sense organs and to induce spontaneous internalized awareness.
4. It stimulates good health, purifies psychic channels, awakens chakras and ascends Kundalini shakti to Sahasrara. It helps in controlling the mind directly through life force, is the easiest, most effective, and most scientific avenue of approach to the infinite.
5. It maintains anabolism superior to the catabolism which stimulates good health and prolongs life.

 
Bhagwan Shree Krishna explained Arjuna in chapter 8 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita that one who with his mind disciplined through Yoga in the form of practice of meditation and thinking of nothing else, is constantly engaged in contemplation of God attains the supremely effulgent Divine Purusa (God) (8/8).
Essentials of Kriya Yoga:
1.    Right Attitude – all are human, not much different. Love thy neighbour.
2.    Diet - Moderate diet preferably vegetarian
3.    Place - Practise kriya in a tidy, peaceful and well-ventilated place
4.    Sound health - Body & mind should be healthy
5.    Relaxation - In relaxation practices, muscles are relaxed and in turn the sensory nerves (which send messages from the muscles to the brain) & motor nerves (which sends messages of action from brain to the muscles) cease to function. In deeper states of relaxation, mind becomes completely detached from the body and calms.
6.    Awareness – Awareness means mere witnessing of ever-arising stream of thoughts, breath, different parts of body, chakras etc. This activates para-sympathetic nervous system which brings down activity level of the body. Acting as a witness cuts the emotional ties. By constant practice of awareness, mind is progressively cleaned and calmed by exhausting inner disturbances.
7.    Proficiency in practices – Pranayama, mudras, bandhas, location & familiarity with the psychic passages and chakras and chakra dharna – these stimulate nerve plexuses, endocrine secretions and bio-plasmic energy.
8.    Non-expectation & Effortlessness – one should try to practise kriya without purpose and as a form of worship. It should be done with joy.
9.    Concentration – Any conscious curb on its wandering tendency of mind, create tension. Concentration is not forced; it spontaneously arises as a consequence of performing the mechanics of the kriyas. To achieve deep state of relaxation, subconscious mind needs to be freed from worries, phobias, fears etc. Concentration occurs spontaneously in a deep relaxed mind.
10. Sequence, regularity, intensity of practices, as well as the state of mind (turmoil or calm) determine the speed of induction of pratyhara.
11.  Pratyahara – It disconnects one’s awareness from sense organs and to induce spontaneous internalized awareness. In order to induce pratyahara, one must be firmly fixed on the sushumna path, lost neither in the Ida nor Pingala dimension of being.
12. Detachment & Disidentification – In meditative practices, it is essential that one watch the occurrence with a feeling of total detachment. Meditation practices contribute in removing mental problems in a more positive manner. one must endeavour to free his mind from attachment to intellectual opinions. One should realise that he or she is continually creating false identification. One should consider oneself as an actor performing the roles. A process of disidentification is necessary. It is possible to distinctly watch the activities of the body, emotions and mind as spectator.  
 
How Kriya yoga is done:
kriya yoga is combinations of several techniques.
1.    Physical postures (Asanas) - to make the body disciplined, healthy and flexible.
2.    External expression of inner attitude (Mudras) – to induce physiological, psychic & mental changes
3.    Physio-psychic locks (Bandhas) – to induce control of pranic forces of the body
4.    Special sound patterns (Mantras)
5.    Manipulation of breath - to control energy or prana (Pranayama) - to induce pratyahara and dharna

1. Psychic passage awareness – to induce changes in the pranic and psychic flow patterns of the body.
2. Meditational practices remove the distractions from mind, meditation. However, the kriya yoga should be practiced under the guidance of realized spiritual teacher.

 
Reference:

1. A systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya – by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
2. Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Traditions - by Marshall Govindan

In Vaishnavism or Vishnuism, Vishnu Bhagwan is considered the Supreme God. The followers of Bhagwan Vishnu and His incarnations are called Vaishnavas. Vishnu has several incarnations. Rama and Krishna are the most prominent of his incarnations, and they are worshipped as veritable Narayana & as personal God. Vaishnavism is the most prominent faction within Hinduism as followed by majority of Hindus. The other factions are Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism.
 
Hindu philosophers such as Ramanujacharya, Nimbakacharya, Madhvacharya, Vallbhacharya, Ramananda and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were the fulcrum of the Bhakti movement during medieval period and rise of Vaishnavism.  They established various Sects & Sampradayas which spread worship of Sri Vishnu, Sri Krishna and Sri Rama along with Mata Lakshmi; Sri Radha; and Sita (also Laxman, Hanuman) respectively.
 
The worship under Vaishnavism involves ritual image worship and matra-japa. Vaishnav festivals such as Ramanavmi, Srikrishna janamashtami, Vaikuntha Ekadashi etc. are very popular.
 
Roots & Scriptures:
The Vedic deities Nara and Narayana form one of the Vedic roots of Vaishnavism. There are references which make out that Narayana is prior to the phase of adoration of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva as Gods. Vishnu Bhagwan finds mention in Rigveda as solar deity (Aditya).  Later on, Narayana got slowly identified with Vishnu.
 
Of the 108 Upanishads, fourteen are considered Vaishnava Upanishads. These are the Narayana Nrsimhatapani, Mahanaryana, Ramarahasya, Ramatapani, Vasudeva, Avyakta, Tarasara, Gopalatapani, Krsna, Haygriva, Garuda and Kali-Santarana Upanishads. The Epics attempted to make God's relation to man more personal, so that the human heart may yearn for Him. The two Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana which presented Vaishnava philosophy, played pivotal role in spread of Vaishnavism. The philosophy and teachings of the Vaishnava Puranas ( mainly, Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Vayu Purana and Varaha Purana) are bhakti oriented. These puranas provided further impetus to Vaishnavism.
 
Emergence & Spread:
The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, the evidence inconsistent and scanty.

1. During Gupta dynasty (4th to 7th centuries), Vaishnavism was adopted as the royal religion. The Gupta Empire flourished in northern, western and southern India.
2. The seed of Vaishnavism in South India was sown by the 12 Alvars, who were the earliest Brahmin messengers to the South. They gave prominence to the emotional side of Vaishnavism and used the language of the people in their songs and hymns mainly based on life of Sri Krishna. Alvers spread bhakti movement in southern region under the Pallavas and Pandyas in the 2nd to 8th centuries.  Their lives and compositions comprehend all forms of personalized love for God with attitudes known as Dasya (servitude), Apatya (sonship), Sankhya (comradeship), Vatsalya (affection for a child) and Madhura (conjugal). Nethamuni collected and edited all the devotional hymns of Alvers into a text of four thousand verses (Nalayira Divya Prabandha) which came to be recognized as the Tamil Veda.
3. With the outgrowth of the bhakti movement there was proliferation of devotional literature in vernacular prose and poetry in a number of other ethnic languages of the various Indian states or provinces. In the period between the 14th-17th centuries, the bhakti movement spread northward into Muslim-dominated India due to the efforts of a loosely associated group of Vaishnavite teachers including Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (West Bengal), Vallabhacharya (UP & Rajasthan), Mirabai (Rajasthan & Gujarat), Kabir (UP), Tulsidas (UP), Tukaram and several others.

Sects & Sampradayas:
Vaishnavas are typically divided into two major (though not mutually exclusive) sects: Bhagavatas and Pancharatras. Pancharatras Tantra by Narada, and Bhagavadgita are the foundation of the Bhagavata school.
 
A. Bhagavatas:
Bhagavatas follow Vasudeva-Krishna-Vishnu worship, dating back as far as 115 B.C. Within Bhagavatism, there are four main sampradayas, which follow different philosophical systems regarding the relationship between the soul (jiva) and God (Vishnu).
 

1. Lakshmi-sampradaya or Srivaishnavism – This was founded in 12th century by Ramanujacharya who propounded Visishtadvaita or qualified non-dualism. Vishnu bestows moksha upon the devotee by his grace, though it is through Vishnu's consort Sri (Lakshmi) that grace is bestowed.

 
The Srivaishnava tradition had bifurcated into two branches, the northern Vadagali group and the Tengali group by 14th century. The Vadagali group believes that one must cling to god much like an infant monkey clings to its mother—that is, by putting forth effort to receive god's grace. The Tengali group believes that one must put forth no effort to acquire god's grace—like a kitten, they must rely entirely on the mother-cat to pick them up and carry them to safety.
 

• Rudra-sampradaya – This was founded in 13th century by the dualist philosopher Visnusvamin. Vallabhacharya (1479-1532) expounded the philosophy of Shuddhadvaita ("pure nondualism"). Vallabhacharya decried role of ritualism, and instead claimed that all spiritual actions should be characterized by a sense of playful effortlessness. This inspired the raslila dramatic performances.
• Brahma-sampradaya was founded by Madhvacharya in 12-13th century and was based almost solely upon the Bhagavad Purana. Madhva propounded the philosophy of Dvaita. Vaishnava Bhakti movement in Karnataka like Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Raghavendra Swami, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were influenced by Madhva's dualist teachings.
• Sanakadi-sampradaya was born in Pandarpur in Andhra Pradesh who founded by Nimbarkacharya (died in 1162, some maintains his birth was in 5000 BC), a Telegu brahman. He propounded the philosophy of dvaitadvaita. Nimbarka's teachings were on the concept of prapatti or "surrender" Devotees must fully surrender to the grace of god.
• Gaudiya Vaishnavism was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 15th century in Bengal. It was marked by fervent love for the personalized god Krishna, sublimated in the form of sankirtana: public dancing, chanting, singing and ranting upon the god-man as well as his consort Radha and his incarnations. This tradition was expanded beyond India due to the efforts of Swami Prabhupada, who founded International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
• Ramanandi movement is named after its main proponent, Ramananda (Born in Prayagraj  UP and settled in Varanasi, lived in 1300-1411 century), Ramananda, who was the successor of Ramanuja, placed devotional focus upon Rama, whom he considered supreme Lord, and his wife Sita. Ramananda used vernacular language for the composition of his hymns. He was the spiritual stimulator & Guru of the twelve great leaders of Vaisnava cult in North India. They belonged to all caste. Among the group's most prominent members were Tulsidas, Kabir (Muslim), Mirabai, Ravidas (cobbler by birth), Sena (barber by caste), Dana (jat), Pipa (Rajput), Dadu and others.

 
B. Pancharatras:
Pancharatras focused upon the worship of Narayana. According to the Pancharatra doctrine, God is manifest in five forms. These are called Para or the supreme form of His transcendent being; Vyuha or the group of His forms called Vasudeva (cosmic consciousness or highest self), Samkarshana (individual self), Pradyumna (mind) and Aniruddha (egoism); Vibhava or His glory seen through His incarnations or Avataras; Archa or His presence manifest in His idols and images worshipped by devotees; and Antaryamin or His immanent presence within the Universe.
 
This teaching is based upon Samkhya philosophy whereby Vasudeva is the supreme purusha which gives rise to the Samkara when brought into contact with the material (prakriti) body. The Samkara is responsible for the production of the Pradyumna, and from the Pradyumna comes the Aniruddha, the creative agent. Devotees emphasize upon visual representations of Vishnu and his various incarnations and cultivating devotion via reverence for these images.
 
Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya or Sri Vaishnavism was founded by Nathamuni in 10th century in Tamil Nadu. Sri refers to goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi-Vishnu is worshipped in this tradition. Ramanujacharya became the most influential leader of Sri Vaishnava. The tradition traces its roots to the ancient Vedas and Pancharatra texts and popularized by the Alvars with their Divya Prabandhams. The devotional practices of Sri Vaishnava have two aspects – Bhakti and Prapatti. Bhakti is Upasana or continuous concentration on the divine with the knowledge that one is a spiritual monad forming a servant (Sesa) of God ending in its final stage in Prapatti or complete self-surrender. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, Narayana is described as the father who stands for justice and Sri, the consort, as the mother whose love extends even to the most deserving.
 
The tradition split into two sub-traditions around the 16th-century called the Vadakalai (sect giving Veda the first preference) and Thenkalai (sect giving Divya Prabandham the first preference). The most striking difference between Srivaishnavas and other Vaishnava groups lies in their interpretation of Vedas. While other Vaishnava groups interpret Vedic deities like Indra, Savitar, Bhaga, Rudra, etc. to be same as their Puranic counterparts, Sri Vaishnavas consider these to be different names/roles/forms of Lord Narayana citing solid reasons thus claiming that the entire Veda is dedicated for Vishnu worship alone. Sri-Vaishnavas have remodelled Pancharatra homas like Sudarshana homa, etc. to include Vedic Suktas like Rudram in them, thus giving them a Vedic outlook.
  
Reference:

1. Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Vaishnavism

  

The Hinduism has always been organic and living. The Hindu philosophers thoroughly probed the origin & dynamics of the world.
 
During medieval period, the Vaishnava philosophers (Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Nimarkacharya, Madhvacharya and Vallabhacharya) propounded the various conceptions on source of origin of the world and its diversity. The schools of thoughts are mainly divided into five. These schools of Vedanta differ only in their conception of the nature of that unity in its relationship with diversity i.e. God (Formless or Formed Brahman) and diversity in world of animate and inanimate.
 
Non-Duality v/s Duality:
While Sankara’s system looks upon Non-duality as the sublation of diversity, others look upon, Non-duality as the subordination of all duality to the principle of Unity i.e. the Supreme Being. Each school of Vedanta therefore propounds its own notion of the relationship of unity with diversity. But all deny anything independent of Sat-Chit-Ananda.
 
Important differences of Vaisnava Philosophies:

1. Supreme Being (God) –
2. In Shankara’s Advaitic System – Supreme spiritual reality (Brahman) is non-dual, attribute-less, formless, indeterminate and acosmic Absolute.
3. In Vaishnava Systems – Supreme Being is the repository of all the auspicious qualities, with form and God of creation. God is the ultimate reality and there is no Absolute apart from Him.

 
 Jiva (Atman, soul) –

1. In Shankara’s System – Jiva is identical to the Brahman in its essence i.e. after elimination of the adjuncts (body, mind, ego etc.). The adjuncts are unreal.
2. In Vaishnava Systems – Jiva is only an aspect, part potency or attribute of Brahman, distinguishable but not necessarily different. Some hold him to be distinct both in bondage and in salvation, while some others maintain, that the distinction will cease with liberation when the Jiva merges in Brahman.
   

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Creation of world –

1. In Shankara’s System – the creation is unreal.
2. In Vaishnava Systems – The creation is real.

 
Samsara (State of Bondage) –

1. In Shankara’s System – the state of bondage and release from it, are only unreal assumptions resulting from ignorance.
2. In Vaisnava Systems – Bondage is a real state and release from it is a real achievement to be had by appropriate means.

 
Jnana (Wisdom) –

1. In Shankara’s System – The Jnana of unity of the Atman with Brahman is the means of Salvation.
2. In Vaishnava Systems – The Bhakti (intense devotion & dedication to the God) is the means of Salvation.

 
Goal of life –

1. In Shankara’s System – Release from bondage is the goal.
2. In Vaishnava Systems – Service of the Supreme Being in His eternal Realm is the ideal of most of the Vaishnava Schools.

 
Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

Highlights of Vedanta Philosophy
 
Vedanta means "end of the Vedas". The Upanishads, the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras are the pillars of the Vedanta. Total Upanishads are 108, out of which principal Upanishads are 11. They elaborate on how the soul (Atman) can be united with the ultimate truth (Brahman) through contemplation and mediation, as well as the doctrine of Karma i.e. the cumulative effects of a person’s actions. In the Brahma Sutras is the essence of the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the Upanishads. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the dialogues between Sri Krishna and Arjuna held in 3102 BC during war among Kauravas and Pandavas in Krukshetra, Haryana. It is cream of Vedas and Upanishads, in most simple Sanskrit language.
 
Vedanta is live. Many sub-traditions, ranging from dualism to non-dualism developed based on different but logical interpretations over period of time. These sub-traditions include Advaita Darshan, established by Adi Shankara, Vishishtadvaita Darshan established by Ramanujacharya, Dvaita Darshan established by Madhvacharya, Bhedabheda (or Dvaitadvaita) Darshan established by Nimbarkacharya, Shuddhadvaita Darshan established by Vallabhacharya, Achintyabhedabheda Darshan established by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Akshar-Purushottam Darshan established by Shastriji Maharaj.
 
Vedanta establishes three fundamental categories viz. the ultimate reality or Brahman or Isvara, the individual soul or self or Atman and the Prakiriti or Jagat or matter. If we compare the three fundamental categories with the Electric Powerhouse, Brahman is powerhouse; Atman is Power supply and Prakriti is electric appliances. Without electric current, no appliance will work. The major highlights of the Vedanta are mentioned as under:
 

1. Brahman or Isvara – The universal consciousness or God or Brahman is Satchitananda, the ultimate reality. Sat which is existence absolute or permanently exist i.e. absolute truth; Chit which is knowledge absolute or complete knowledge and Ananda which is bliss absolute or permanently blissful. God is one. There are different aspects or ways of looking at God in different Religions.
2. Atman or Soul – Atman is atomic in size, eternal and inactive.  It becomes active when connected with mind, buddhi etc., identifies itself with body and mind and feels pleasure or pain. Atman, as agent of Brahman sacrifices and performs all acts i.e. good and bad deeds done in previous births. Body is changing with age; mind is changing over time but soul in not changing.
3. Five Sheaths of Atman - Atman or soul is hidden in five coverings of gross body & finer sheaths of body, energy, mind, intellect and bliss which are called as Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vigyanamaya and Anandamaya Kosh respectively. The body is seen; the energy runs the entire body which manifests in form of breath; the mind is world of thoughts & sensory inputs, the intellect is knowledge, analytical power & awareness and the bliss is reflection of atman. The body has senses; mind has desires and attitudes.
4. World – World is sum total of individuals. Brahman is sum total of souls.  
5. Twenty Six attributes of Divinity - Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, alms giving, control of senses, performing sacrifices, reading scriptures, austerity, uprightness; non-injury, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquility, absence of calumny, compassion to beings, lack of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, steadiness; Boldness, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride; these belong to one born to achieve a divine state. (Gita XVI, 1-3).
6. Sanskars and Sufferings - Every action leaves an impression in our mind (samskara), which creates a tendency for the action to be repeated in the present or future life.
7. Karma theory –According to Karma theory everyone has come with its own bundle of karma. The impressions or sanskars are ultimately the cause of sufferings or enjoyments.
8. Re-birth - According to the law of Karma, it is not the parents who choose their children; it is children who choose their parents. A soul is to be born. So it looks around-“where shall I go”? Now if he did some meritorious work before, he should be born perhaps as a rich man’s son. But if he did evil actions, he may be born in a rich family but as a sick man’s son. One cannot explain the present life without admitting the previous life.
9. Free will - The person is free to act, but only within the radius determined by his physical and mental circumstances. 
10. Sufferings – lessor the one is body conscious, lesser the sufferings. As sufferings come, one can say, ‘I am not the body, so the suffering of the body is not mine. The more one can believe, or rather, the more one is convinced of this, the freer he will be from hold of the body. Our sufferings and enjoyment are based on the idea of identification or sense of possession, either I am identified with an object or it belongs to me. If the sense of possession is too strong, it brings pain.
11. Wisdom v/s Ritualism - The Vedic rituals i.e. yajna are done mainly with the aspirations of fruits or to get heaven. The Vedanta stressed on spiritual wisdom and gods were idealized into Brahman. Adi Shankaracharya established the superiority of wisdom over ritualism. 

 
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita has harmonized the Vedic rituals and spiritual wisdom of Upanishad. Shri Krishna in chapter 3 has explained that virtually any action can be transformed into yajna if it is done in the spirit of sacrifice, or offering to God. By seeing all elements of the act of offering (including the offeror himself) as nothing but Brahman (Supreme God), he attains Brahman. Even the old Vedic rituals can be performed without an eye on the results, but with a desire for the social and cosmic good.  

1. Para & Apara knowledge – There are two types of knowledge: Para and apara, supreme and relative. Supreme knowledge is the knowledge of real nature of things, Say gold bars, gold jewelry, gold necklace etc. all is basically gold. When we remove name and form, we get the abstract idea. Relative knowledge is the knowledge which is acquired through books, experiments etc.  
2. Unity of existence i.e. Brahman – when one is rooted in this idea, you become moral, sympathetic, philanthropic and ethical as there is a feeling of presence of the same divine in all.
3. Liberation or Salvation - Salvation is the goal of life.  There are four methods of attaining freedom viz. Karma yoga (detachment), Bhakti yoga (Surrender), Jnana yoga (only Brahman) and Raja yoga (Dhyana or Meditation).
4. Meditation - Senses take to the external world. To experience inner world, we need to hear inner voice. When we close our eyes, it is first step towards it. The object of meditation is to be calm, tranquil in mind. When one is fundamentally clear and focused, thoughts & distractions reduce. When the mind is absolutely calm, automatically one will know atman. But to feel the bliss of the Atman, the mind need not be absolutely calm. Even if it is partially calm, one will feel it. Because the real nature of the atman is that Bliss, so when the obstacle are removed, that blissful nature of the atman comes out. It is natural joy. 

 
Reference: Vedanta & Vivekananda by Swami Swahananda