Subtle Srivaishnava Precepts

The below document is to be used solely to gain a better understanding of subtle Thenkalai Srivaishnavam principles. Specifically it’s not intended and must not be understood nor taken to show Vadakalai in an unfavourable light. Vadakalai Srivaishnavas may or may not agree with the principles ascribed to them in the below document, and may in fact have their own understandings for those principles they do agree with. Indeed, Sri Alkondavilli Govindacharya mentions in the article Tengalai and Vadagalai (July, 1912):

except that they have Vedāntāchārya and Ramya-jāmātṛ-muni as their respective pontiffs, the two divisions [Vadagalai and Tengalai], in ethnic, philosophic, ethic, and social affairs, constitute one Śrī-Vaishnava body.

and

To the credit of Śrī Vedāntāchārya, … it must be said that he looked upon the opinions of those from whom he differed as simply due to specialization of certain aspects of truth… [vide. Stotra-Bhāṣya 53].

No odium theologicum could be imputed to him.

So, a study of the below should only be undertaken in the above spirit, and in fact, best done without considering the labels, Vadagalai and Tengalai:

The Astadasa-Bhedas, or the Eighteen Points of Doctrinal Differences between the Tengalais (Southerners) and the Vadagalais (Northerners) of the Visistadvaita Vaisnava School, South India (October, 1910)

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