Tanagalai and Vadagalai

[Balaji Hebbar]

Mr. Satyanarayana:

It  is  first of  all  "Tengalai"  (Tamil  for  DakShiNakala)  not
"Tanagalai".  The  "AShTAdashabhedanirNaya"  is  a  Sanskrit  work  that
deals  quite  extensively  about  the  18  principal  differences  in
doctrine  between  the  Tengalai  and  the  VaDagalai  branches  of  the
Shri-VaishNava  SampradAya.  It  has  been  published  by  the  French
Indological  Institute  at  Pondicherry.  Also,  Prof.  Patricia  Mumme
(PhD. Univ.  of  Pennsylvania)  did  her  dissertation  on  this  whole
issue.  I  think  her  work  is  entitled  "Shri-VaishNava  Theological
dispute".  It  has  also  been  published  in  India.  Really  speaking,
these  18  can  reduced  to  some  4  super  important  ones.  They
are:

1.  T:  God's  Grace  is  Sovereign.  It  cannot  be  "bought"  by  good
works.
    V:  Good  works  invoke  the  Grace  of  God.

2.  T:  Prapatti  is  mandatory  as  a  means  to  mokSha.
    V:  Prapatti  is  an  optional  means  to  mokSha.

3.  T:  ShrI  does  not  share  in  the  Divine  Essence.
    V:  ShrI  is  inseparable  from  God  and  shares  the  Divine
Essence.  (a  la  Tengalai  this  is  Duotheism  not  Monotheism)

4.  T:  Salvific  powers  belong  to  God  only.
    V:  ShrI  shares  in  the  salvific  powers  of  God.

Regards,
B.N.Hebbar
Adjunct  Professor  of  Eastern  Religions
George  Washington  University  (Washington  DC  USA)
Lecturer  of  Indology
University  of  Maryland  Honors  Program
PaNDitaratna,  ShAstrasavyaSAchI,  VedAntavyAghra