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Abstract
The term Vaishnava is used to describe a philosophy or belief system that accepts Vishnu as the sole independent being, while everything else—Jada (the inanimate) and Cetana (the animate)—is understood as being dependent upon him. In ancient times, a philosophy was accepted as authentic only if it was in acordance with such scriptures as the Veda-s, the Upanishad-s, the Brahmasutra-s, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad-Gita, the ShrimadBhagavata, etc. It was common practice in ancient times for scholars to write
commentaries on the scriptures and to participate in debates to prove that their interpretations were in accordance with these sacred texts. Hence a number of separate philosophies and traditions developed among Vaishnava-s, taking such names as, Tattva-vada, Vishishtadvaita, Achintya-bhedaabheda, Dvaitadvaita, Shuddhadvaita, etc. Various Hindu groups today claim descent from the ancient sources of scriptural and teaching authority, of their founding teachers (acarya-s), whose living representatives today derive
from a lineage of Guru-s in direct succession from the founder.
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