Vaishnavism

[Fact 1]: It's only later that Vishnuism merged with Krishnaism.Hopkins,The Religions of India, p.530 "When, however, pantheism, nay, even Vishnuism, or still more, Krishnaism, was an accepted fact upon what, then, was the wisdom of the priest expended?"Large Vaishnava communities now exist throughout India, and particularly in Western Indian states, such as western Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

[Fact 2]: Important sites of pilgrimage for Vaishnavs include: Guruvayur Temple, Sri Rangam, Vrindavan, Mathura, Ayodhya, Tirupati with Since the 1900s Vaishnavism has spread from within India and is now practiced in many places around the globe, including America, Europe, Africa, Russia and South America.

[Fact 3]: Ravana, the evil king and villain of the epic, plays the opposite role of how not to behave.The Mahabharata is centered around Krishna, another avatara of Vishnu, and details the story of a dynastic war between two families of cousins, with Krishna and the Pandavas, five brothers, playing pivotal roles in the drama.

[Fact 4]: Depending on the Sampradaya or Vaishnava group one follows, Krishna is regarded either as a full avatar of Vishnu, non-different from him, or as the source of all avatars including Vishnu himself,Bhag-P 1.3.28 "krishnas tu bhagavan svayam" a notion held within the Gaudiya, Vallabha and Nimbarka branches of Vaishnavism.Both works are often re-enacted in part as dramas by followers of Vaishnavism, especially on festival days concerning each of the specific avatars.

[Fact 5]: The philosophical highlight of the work is the chapter covering a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna prior to the final battle, individually known as the Bhagavad Gita.

[Fact 6]: Rama's wife Sita, his brother Lakshman and his devotee/follower Hanuman all play key roles within the Vaishnava tradition as examples of Vaishnava etiquette and behaviour.

[Fact 7]: The Bhagavad Gita, though influential in most philosophies of Hinduism, is of particular importance to Vaishnavas because it is believed to be an accurate record of the very words spoken by Krishna himself.

[Fact 8]: XvTwo great Indian epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, are an important part of Vaishnava philosophy, theology, and culture.The Ramayana describes the story of Rama, an avatara of Vishnu, and is taken as a history of the 'ideal king', based on the principles of dharma, morality and ethics.

[Fact 9]: The Bhagavad Gita is widely studied as a theological textbook and is rendered in numerous English translations and world languages.

Vaishnavism

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