Vaiṣṇava Research Articles

Urban Devis: Fashioning Lay Women’s Holiness in Krishna Bhakti Networks

Although many Hindu communities today foreground women as religious authorities, some lineages officially recognize only men as gurus and renouncers. If official models of religious authority are gendered masculine, what space do women have to embody holiness? This article investigates this question with reference to women in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a transnational religious organization that has developed prominent communities in India and abroad. Amidst an ongoing disagreement about whether women can be gurus in the organization, this article considers how devotee women are cultivating spaces of religious authority in their temple communities and online media forums through embodying Krishna bhakti as a form of vernacular holiness. This includes the development of personal websites and the use of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to produce media content that ranges from overtly devout recordings of temple lectures to subtle signals towards Krishna bhakti in the aesthetic style of social media influencers. Case studies discuss women affiliated with ISKCON communities in India and the US.

Substance and Shadow: Resources for Developing a Vaiṣṇava Ecotheology

Substance and Shadow: Resources for Developing a Vaiṣṇava Ecotheology

Захист вайшнавами ISKCON власної ідентичності в контексті дискусій про індуїзм

Захист вайшнавами ISKCON власної ідентичності в контексті дискусій про індуїзм

Book review: Devesh Kapur & Milan Vaishnav, Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India

Devesh Kapur & Milan Vaishnav, Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018, 311 pp., ₹750.

Mother in the field, toddler on the loose: finding our feet in a Vaishnavite monastery in Assam

The ethnographer’s ideal is to achieve a fly-on-the-wall perspective: to see life as it is lived, regardless of her presence. The reality, as anthropologists now freely admit, is that the lives we ...

John Fahy: Becoming Vaishnava in an Ideal Vedic City

John Fahy: Becoming Vaishnava in an Ideal Vedic City

Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism and Modernity

Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism and Modernity

Book review: Devesh Kapur, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Milan Vaishnav, eds. Rethinking Public Institutions in India

Devesh Kapur, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Milan Vaishnav, editors. Rethinking Public Institutions in India. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. 2017. 527 pages. ₹995.

Book review: Devesh Kapur and Milan Vaishnav, eds. Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India

Devesh Kapur and Milan Vaishnav, eds. Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India. Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. 2018. 324 pages. ₹750. ISBN: 9780199487271.

Early Tantric Vaiṣṇavism: Three Newly Discovered Works of the Pañcarātra. The, by Diwakar Acharya

Early Tantric Vaiṣṇavism: Three Newly Discovered Works of the Pañcarātra. The, by Diwakar Acharya

Ancient Vaishnava Votes Bhagwat, Sawat and Pancharata

Ancient Vaishnava Votes Bhagwat, Sawat and Pancharata

Reflections on God and Evil in the Krishna Bhakti Theology of Caitanya

Reflections on God and Evil in the Krishna Bhakti Theology of Caitanya

Caitanya Vaiṣṇava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason and Devotion. Edited by Ravi M.Gupta. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2014. Pp. xii + 244. $104.95.

Caitanya Vaiṣṇava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason and Devotion. Edited by Ravi M.Gupta. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2014. Pp. xii + 244. $104.95.

Philosophy of Vaishnavism in Iraniyan Vathaippadalam

The destruction of Hiranyan occurs in the Third sub section of the Sixth Canto of the Ramayana called Yuddha Kandam. It is called Ramayana in miniature which proposes the Philosophy of Surrender, the crux of Vaishnavam. Chanting of the Eight Letter Manthra ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ was the vital force for Prahalathan which explains the five Manifestations of the Lord Narayana. The renowned Poet Kamban through the exposition of this destruction of Hiranyan, is of the view that becoming a dedicated devotee and surrender of one’s self unto Lord Vishnu makes the Soul to sublime heights. This Paper probes into how Lord Vishnu comes down from this heavenly abode to protect a staunch Devotee who is absolutely at his lotus feet at all times. This concern of the God is the fundamental Concept of Vaishnavam. Key words: Ramayana, Philosophy of Surrender, Hiranyan Destruction, Five Manifestations of Vishnu, Eight Letter Manthra ஆயவுசசுருககம கமபராமாயணததின ஆறாவது காணடமாகிய யுததகாணடததில மூனறாவது படலமாக விளஙகுவது இரணியன வதைபபடலம. சினன இராமாயணம எனப புகழபபடும இரணிய வதைபபடலம வைணவததின கோடபாடாக விளஙகும சரணாகதித தததுவததைப புலபபடுததுவதாய உளளது. ‘ஓம நமோ நாராயணாய’ எனும திருஎடடெழுதது மநதிரததை உருவேறறுதலே பிரகலாதனின பேராறறலாக விளஙகியது. கமபன, இயணியனின வதைபபடலததின மூலமாக ஸரஹரி நாராயணனின பகதரகளுககு எமபெருமானாகிய ஸர விஷனுவின பாதாரவிநதததில சரணாகதி அடைதலே விழுமிய உயரவை அடைவதறகான வழி எனும தததுவததை முனவைககிறார. இககடடுரையானது ஸர மகாவிஷனு தனது தாமரைபபாதததைச சரணடைநத அடியவரைக காககும பொருடடு எநத நேரததிலும தனது வைகுணட வாசததலததிலிருநது இறஙகி வருகிறார எனபதை விளககுவதாகவே அமைகிறது. இறைவனின இககருணையே வைணவக கொளகையின அடிததளமாகும. குறிபபுச சொறகள: இராமாயணம, சரணாகதித தததுவம, இரணிய வதைபபடலம, விஷனுவின ஐநது வெளிபபாடுகள, திருஎடடெழுதது மநதிரம.

Interiority and Connectivity: A Brief Comparative Study on the Relation of Scripture and Contemplation in Bridal Mysticism and Krishna Bhakti

Interiority and Connectivity: A Brief Comparative Study on the Relation of Scripture and Contemplation in Bridal Mysticism and Krishna Bhakti

A Living Theology of Krishna Bhakti: Essential Teachings of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. By Tamal KrishnaGoswami. Edited with Introduction and Conclusion by Graham M. Schweig. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Pp. viii + 286. $24.95.

A Living Theology of Krishna Bhakti: Essential Teachings of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. By Tamal KrishnaGoswami. Edited with Introduction and Conclusion by Graham M. Schweig. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Pp. viii + 286. $24.95.

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue: ISKCON’s Troubled History with Gaudiya Vaisnavism

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue: ISKCON’s Troubled History with Gaudiya Vaisnavism

Relevance of the Evaluation of Hindi literature of the Riti Period

The long tradition of Hindi Literature has many literary trends that began to emerge from the tenth century leading up to the present. The ballads of bravery and valour, the poetry of different sects of Naths, Siddhas and Jainas and also Vidyapati and Amir Khusro were written during early period called Adikaal (1000-1318) of Hindi literature. Devotional poetry called Bhaktikaal (1318-1643) includes the aphorisms of Kabir, the Padmavata of Jayasi, the Ramacharitamanas of Tulsidas and the Bhajans of Sur and Mira. The Ritikaal (1643-1843) consists of the poetical rhetoric of Kesavadas, the epigrams of Bihari, the free verse poetry of Ghananand, Bodha, Alam and Thakur. Modern literature called Adhunickaal (1843 to the present) reflects many new literary trends emerged during this period. In the poetry of Ritikaaleen Hindi literature erotic elements became more dominant. During this era poetic forms and theory got dominance and developed to the fullest. Theoretical aspects of literature and the style of writing poetry as an Art Form had reached to a very high level during this period. But at the same time due to the impact of devotional poetry of Bhakti Poets in which they expressed dissatisfaction about the caste system and other religious prejudices present in the society vanished during this period. The Riti poets have composed most of their work on the Krishna Bhakti Cult. The erotic description of Shringaric aspects of Krishnas life had more attraction for Riti poets rather than other aspects of life. Instead of depicting common man’s problems the Riti poets served the cause of their patrons the feudal lords of that time. Many critics and the writers of the History of Hindi literature have criticized the role of Riti Poets and Riti poetry for not expressing the problems of society. But some of the critics had contradicted the criticism and defended Riti poetry. In the present article Ritikaalin literature has been revaluated, and the relevance of scholars like Ramchandra Shukla has been re-established.

Attending Krsna’s Image: Caitanya Vaisnava Murti-seva as Devotional Truth, by Kenneth R. Valpey

Attending Krsna’s Image: Caitanya Vaisnava Murti-seva as Devotional Truth, by Kenneth R. Valpey. Abingdon, Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2006. xiv + 225 pp., £80 (hb). ISBN 0-415-38394-3.

Home or Ashram? The Vaishnavas of Bengal

Home or Ashram? The Vaishnavas of Bengal