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Glite Dictionary
Vaishnavism

Vaishnavism

1 9.9
A tradition of Hinduism where people worship Vishnu as the main god
  • noun
  • /ˈvaɪʃnəˌvɪzəm/
: vaishnavismo
  • In Vaishnavism, chanting the names of Vishnu is an important aspect of daily devotion.

Examples

  • The principles of Vaishnavism inspire many followers to devote their lives to the worship of Vishnu.

  • During special occasions, devotees gather to celebrate Vaishnavism with prayers and rituals dedicated to Vishnu.

  • Jaldhar has already discussed the (imperfect) role played by Vaishnavism in resolving caste issues.

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Synonyms

Vaisnavism
vsVaishnavism
  • Indian
9.9

A branch of Hinduism that worships Vishnu as the main god

is the more common spelling used for the same religious tradition
Vishnuism
vsVaishnavism
9.9

A Hindu religious tradition that worships Vishnu as the main god

treats that deity as the supreme god rather than one among several

Surface Forms

Vaishnavism singular
Vaishnavisms plural

Morphology

Vaishnavism = Vaishnav (opaque) = Vaishnav + ism

'Vaishnav' is not a productive English base word and is unfamiliar to most English learners.

Etymology

Vaishnavism comes from the Sanskrit name Vishnu, the god it honors, plus the ending -ism meaning 'belief' or 'system'. So, Vaishnavism is the tradition of people who worship Vishnu as the supreme god.