We generally hear of two śrīvaiṣṇava schools:
1. Vadakalai or the Northern School – also known as the śrībhāṣya school, with Kāñcī as the center.
2. Thenkalai or the Southern School – also known as the Prabandha school, with śrīraṅgam as the center.
But not many seem to know the differences between these two schools, not even many practicing śrīvaiṣṇavas. Last weekend, when we were discussing a few verses from the Kāpila Pāñcarātra, it became evident that most of our friends distinguished these two schools on the basis of customs such as the way tilaka is applied or ritualistic differences during a marriage ceremony. While those are true superficially, doctrinal differences are the ones that one should be aware of in this context.
1. Both schools agree that Prapatti or śaraṇāgati is important to attain mōkṣa. The Vadakalai school asserts that self-effort is needed on the part of the upāsaka to attain mōkṣa. The classic analogy here is of the markaṭa-nyāya – the bhakta holds on to the Lord even as a baby monkey grasps and holds on to its mother.
On the other hand, the Thenkalai school holds that the grace (anugraha) of the Lord is spontaneous, irresistible, and unconditional (nirhētukī kr̥ipā). This anugraha is showered upon the jīvātman even if there is no effort on the latter’s part. The analogy here is of the mārjāla-nyāya – the mother cat grasps her baby with her mouth even though the baby cat makes no effort on its part to hold on to its mother.
Though we spoke of Prapatti being applicable to both schools, there is a fundamental difference in how one approaches Prapatti. According to the Northern school, Prapatti is one of the ways or paths adopted by the upāsaka; Thenkalai treats Prapatti not as one of the many paths but as an essential frame of mind which should characterize every seeker in search of mōkṣa; It also rejects other paths in its favor. Vadakalai prescribes Prapatti for those who cannot take the routes of bhakti, karma, or jñāna whereas Thenkalai asserts the necessity of Prapatti for all, whether able or not, to follow other ways. Self-assertiveness, characteristic of the Northern school, is often forbidden in the Southern school.
To summarize, śrībhāṣya school insists on the concomitancy of the human will for attaining mōkṣa whereas the Prabandha school holds on to the irresistibility of the divine grace. That an ‘Indologist’ such as Wendy Doniger (who can be credited with monumental work aimed at demonizing Hinduism in every possible and irreverent way) sums up these two great traditions merely as Cat and Monkey schools indicates that she herself is an animal and capable of no greater intellectual perception. I happened to have a quick chat with her last year and could sense her unhidden animosity towards everything Hindu quite clearly. That’s quite another topic.
2. The next important disagreement, which is of greater interest to us especially due to our interest in the Lakṣmī Tantra, is of the doctrinal position of Bhagavatī Mahālakṣmī or śrī. According to the Vadakalai school, Ambā is exactly similar to the Lord, completely indistinguishable from the Lord in every aspect such as being infinite, illimitable, etc. She is completely capable of granting mōkṣa like śrīmannārāyaṇa, her consort. However, the Thenkalai school regards her as a jīva albeit divine. She represents the most superior of the jīvas in the service of Bhagavān. She is also a mediator between the Lord and the other inferior jīvas. She is endowed with infinite mercy (kāruṇya), intercedes on behalf of the jīva, and appeals to Lord to grant him mōkṣa, but cannot grant it herself.
3. Adherence to varṇāśrama dharma is another aspect that few like to talk about. Vadakalai school does recommend treating all Bhāgavatas with equal respect, but japa, pūjā, and other vidhis are to be strictly held according to one’s varṇa. Here, Praṇava and Mūlamantra are not imparted outside the group of traivarṇikas. The Thenkalai school on the other hand has a negligible emphasis on the varṇa dharma.