Notes on Female Vaiṣṇava Gurus: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

A preliminary review of the category of female guru within Vaiṣṇavism reveals that female gurus have a long history in this sectarian tradition. Also, this focused inquiry intersects with and illuminates wide-ranging
issues in the history and present of Hinduism. I qualify this review as ‘preliminary’ because I have focused my research on Śaivism, but then that also contributes a comparative perspective to this essay. For example, I identify the priorities of a sectarian history of female gurus in Vaiṣṇavism that invites comparison with
other sectarian histories on the subject, such as Śaivism, which together reveal issues in the history of the status of women in Hinduism. In particular, the theme of the unlikely mix of images of wife and ascetic plays prominently across identities and eras.