Sri.

 

A Beginner’s Journey

Who Is a Sri Vaishnava? And What Does “Sri” Mean?

Who is a Sri Vaishnava?

Simply put, a Sri Vaishnava is one who accepts Nārāyaṇa as the Supreme Being and seeks to live in loving relationship with Him through devotion, surrender and service.

But why Sri Vaishnava?

The word Sri refers to Lakshmi, the divine consort of Nārāyaṇa.

She is not merely an ornament beside Him. In Sri Vaishnava understanding, Sri and Nārāyaṇa are eternally united.

Sri represents compassion, grace and the tender presence through which the devotee approaches the Lord.

Thus, the name itself tells us something beautiful:

Sri Vaishnavism is the path of devotion to Nārāyaṇa, with Sri as the compassionate mother and inseparable divine consort.

A Sri Vaishnava therefore does not see God as distant or unreachable.

There is God, the individual soul, and an eternal relationship between them—a relationship expressed through bhakti, prapatti and kainkaryam.

And perhaps the simplest way to understand a Sri Vaishnava is this:

“I belong to Nārāyaṇa, and I seek to live my life in His service, under the grace of Sri.”