Scriptural basis - 108 Pancharatra Samhitas - the most important being the Jayakhya Samhita (5th C), Sattvata Samhita, Lakshmi Tantra, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Padma Samhita.
Temples - Most North Indian + Karnataka Vaishnava temples. Sri Ranganathaswamy at Srirangam. Vrindavan + Mathura temples. ISKCON temples worldwide. Ahobilam.
Features - Vyuha doctrine - Vishnu manifests in 4 expansions (vyuha): Vasudeva (svarupa), Sankarshana (jiva-knowledge), Pradyumna (mind-aishvarya), Aniruddha (power-veerya). Daily temple worship in 6 stages - abhigamana (morning prep), upadana (collecting materials), ijya (worship), svadhyaya (Veda recitation), yoga (meditation), and ablation. The 5 daily nityas + occasional kratus.
Initiation - Pancharatra-diksha - formal initiation with mantras specific to the lineage. Allows ritual entry into the deity's sanctum (garbhagriha). Initiates can perform abhisheka, daily archana, and conduct utsavas.
Living lineage - Ramanuja's Sri Vaishnava sampradaya at Srirangam. The Pancharatra-rakshana of Vedanta Desika (14th C). Vallabha sampradaya. Gaudiya Vaishnavism (Chaitanya tradition) - including ISKCON which follows Pancharatra worship at all its temples.
Scriptural basis - The 4 Vaikhanasa Samhitas attributed to Sage Vikhanas + his 4 disciples Atri, Bhrigu, Marichi, Kashyapa. Vimana-archana-kalpa, Khila-tantra, Vaikhanasa-grihya-sutra.
Temples - Tirumala Tirupati Balaji (the supreme Vaikhanasa temple), Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal, several older Tamil Nadu Vaishnava shrines where hereditary Vaikhanasa archakas serve.
Features - Hereditary archakas - only a born Vaikhanasa brahmana can perform Vaikhanasa worship; no diksha-conversion accepted. Daily worship in 5 stages - abhigamana, upadana, ijya, svadhyaya, yoga. Strict separation of mool-bera (immovable main murti) from utsava-bera (procession murti). Murti made of stone - never metal.
Initiation - No initiation possible from outside. Must be born into a Vaikhanasa-brahmana family (gotras of Atri, Bhrigu, Marichi, Kashyapa). Tirumala's archakas have served unbroken since 7th C.
Living lineage - Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam continues to follow strict Vaikhanasa agama. The Marichi-Atri-Bhrigu-Kashyapa family branches still serve. Approximately 2-3 lakh Vaikhanasa brahmanas across South India.
Scriptural basis - 28 main Shaiva Agamas - Kamika, Yogaja, Chintya, Karana, Ajita, Dipta, Sukshma, Suprabheda, Vatula, etc. Each agama has Vidya-pada (philosophy), Yoga-pada (meditation), Kriya-pada (ritual), Charya-pada (conduct).
Temples - All major Tamil Shaiva temples - Chidambaram Nataraja, Madurai Meenakshi (Sundareshwara), Thanjavur Brihadeeswara, Kashi Vishwanath, Somnath, Rameshwaram. Most North + South Indian Shiva temples.
Features - The 36 tattvas of Shaiva Siddhanta - extending the Sankhya 25 tattvas with 11 more above (suddha-tattvas) to account for the unfolding of Shiva-tattva into Maya. Daily abhishekam in panchamrita + bilva-archana + Sri Rudram recitation. Pasu-pati-pasha doctrine - the bound soul (pasu) is liberated from bondage (pasha) by the grace of the Lord (Pati).
Initiation - Shaiva-diksha - formal initiation by a guru of an unbroken lineage. After diksha, the disciple receives the diksha-naama (Shaiva initiation name ending in "-shivacharya").
Living lineage - Adi Shaivas (the original Shaiva-brahmana lineage in Tamil Nadu). The 4 Shaiva-mathas at Chidambaram (Dharmapuri, Tiruvavadudurai, Madurai, Tiruvanam). Veerashaiva (Lingayat) tradition - though it diverges from Shaiva Siddhanta on some points.
Scriptural basis - Trika system founded by Vasugupta's discovery of the Shiva-sutras (9th C). Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka (10-11th C) is the magnum opus. Spanda-karikas, Pratyabhijna-hridayam, Vijnana-bhairava-tantra (the famous 112 dharanas / meditation techniques).
Temples - Few temples - Kashmir Shaivism is fundamentally a philosophical / meditational tradition rather than a temple tradition. Some Kashmir temples (Shankaracharya hill, Amarnath). Hara Hara Mahadev festivals.
Features - Non-dual (advaita) - but not the impersonal Brahman of Shankara. Shiva is purna-aham (the supreme I), and the world is his pratyabhijna (recognition). 36 tattvas + Anuttara. Spanda (vibration) doctrine - even the supreme Shiva has spontaneous self-vibration.
Initiation - Shaktipata-diksha - initiation by direct transfer of Shakti from guru. The intensity of shaktipata (tivra / madhya / manda) determines pace of progress.
Living lineage - Substantially lost during Islamic invasions of Kashmir. Revived in 20th C by Swami Lakshman Joo (1907-1991) of Srinagar. Modern teachers: Mark Dyczkowski, Bettina Bäumer, Jaideva Singh's translations.
Scriptural basis - 64 main Tantras - Vamakeshvara Tantra, Tantraraja Tantra, Saundarya Lahari (Shankara), Lalita Sahasranama (Brahmanda Purana), Tripura Rahasya. Sri Yantra is the diagrammatic form of the entire system.
Temples - Kanchi Kamakshi (Kanchipuram), Sri Meenakshi (Madurai), Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Kamakhya (Assam - the supreme Shakta peetha), Kollur Mookambika (Karnataka). All 51 Shakta-peethas operate within Sri-Vidya framework.
Features - Bahir-yaga (external worship) + Antar-yaga (internal worship). The 9 chakras of the Sri Yantra correspond to 9 grades of Devi (the 9 nityas + the supreme bindu). 15-syllabled Panchadashi mantra is the basic mantra; 16-syllabled Shodashi is the advanced. The Lalita Sahasranama is the principal daily recitation.
Initiation - Sri-Vidya diksha - given only by qualified guru. 3 grades: Kaula (left-hand path, more ritualistic), Samaya (right-hand path, more philosophical/meditational), Misra (mixed). Adi Shankara established the Samaya tradition at Sringeri.
Living lineage - Sringeri Sharada Peetham (Samaya-Sri-Vidya). Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. The Sri Vidya Bhavan at Kanchi. Anandalahari ashramas. Various Sri Yantra worship circles globally (Sringeri-pravartita).
Smarta tradition (panchayatana puja) · स्मार्त पञ्चायतन पूजा
Deity: Five deities equally - Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Surya, Ganesha (worshipped together)
Scriptural basis - Established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th C. Based on the smritis (hence "Smarta"). The panchayatana arrangement is described in Padma Purana + Skanda Purana.
Temples - All Smarta brahmana homes have a panchayatana arrangement of 5 deities. Many shankaracharya-affiliated temples follow Smarta panchayatana.
Features - The 5 deities are placed in a specific geometric pattern: one in the centre (varies by family ishta-devata), and the other 4 in the corners. Shankaracharya prescribed: Saiva-pradhana = Shiva centre; Vaishnava-pradhana = Vishnu centre, etc. All 5 worshipped daily with the same upacharas.
Initiation - No special diksha required for daily Smarta panchayatana puja - every Brahmana householder learns it through the upanayanam + family tradition.
Living lineage - 4 Shankaracharya mathas - Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, Jyotirmath, plus the Kamakoti Peetham (Kanchi). Most Smarta brahmanas (Iyer, Deshastha, Kannada Smarta, Nambudiri) follow this.
