CHAPTER 11
History of Vais.n.ava Traditions:
An Esquisse
Gérard Colas
Introduction
The present chapter will focus on the history of “Vais.n.ava traditions” that is, of
organized and institutionalized Vais.n.ava movements, mainly on the basis of reli-
gious literature and epigraphy. We will use the term “Vais.n.ava” in the rather
anachronistic way in which it is often used today among scholars, namely as
denoting those who worship Vis.n.u and his different aspects as well as the tradi-
tions which they follow. While “Vais.n.ava” meant only “related with the god
Vis.n.u” in the early period, it also assumed another denotation, namely an affil-
iation with the religion of which Vis.n.u is the god from around the fifth century
ad, for instance, in the title paramavais.n.avafound on the coins of Traiku ̄t.aka
kings Dahrasena and Vya ̄ghrasena. Kings of the eighth century continued to use
the title paramavais.n.ava. The Paus.karasam.hita ̄, one of the ancient Pa ̄ñcara ̄tra
sam.hita ̄s, also refers to paramavais.n.avas(Jaiswal 1967: 204; Matsubara 1994:
19–20; von Stietencron 1978: 11). The term Vais.n.ava evokes a conception
of an overarching and syncretic religion for it includes the worshippers of all
aspects considered as those of Vis.n.u, like Kr.s.n.a, Narasim.ha, etc. although a
devotee of Kr.s.n.a, who is classified as a Vais.n.ava, probably feels more a Kr.s.n.aite
than a Vais.n.ava.
Indian literature employs many terms (like samprada ̄ya, pantha, mata,
siddha ̄nta,parampara ̄, etc.) which could be translated more or less precisely as
“tradition” and which are sometimes translated as “sect,” “system,” “school.”
But a historical study of these Indian terms which often take particular shades
of meaning according to the context is beyond the scope of this chapter. We will
avoid using the term “sect,” not only because this term, which has been used by
scholars to signify socioreligious realities of great diversity, in an Indian context
would need a lengthy discussion, but also because the very status of Indian