Sri Vaishnavism stands out within the Hindu landscape through its distinctive theological vision known as Vishishtadvaita, or qualified non-dualism. Here, Brahman is identified with Vishnu–Narayana, who is the supreme reality endowed with auspicious qualities, while individual souls and the material universe are real and eternal yet wholly dependent on Him. They are understood as attributes or modes of Brahman rather than illusions, which sets this school apart from Advaita Vedanta’s emphasis on the ultimately unreal nature of the world and from strict dualist systems that insist on an absolute separation between God, souls, and matter. Liberation, therefore, is not conceived as a dissolution into an undifferentiated absolute, but as the realization of an eternal relationship with a personal, gracious deity.

A defining hallmark of this tradition is its devotion to Vishnu as Narayana, inseparably associated with Sri (Lakshmi). Vishnu is worshipped as the supreme Lord, while Sri is revered as an eternal, compassionate mediator through whom devotees seek divine grace. This focus on Vishnu–Narayana with Sri distinguishes it not only from Shaiva and Shakta traditions, which center on Shiva or Devi, but also from other Vaishnava lineages that may place primary emphasis on particular incarnations such as Krishna or Rama without the same doctrinal stress on Lakshmi’s mediating role. The soul’s highest fulfillment is described as loving service to this Lord, retaining its individuality in His presence.

The path taught in Sri Vaishnavism gives special prominence to bhakti (devotion) and prapatti (total surrender) as the principal means to liberation. Prapatti is understood as a wholehearted, decisive act of self-surrender to Vishnu, relying fundamentally on His grace rather than on the sheer accumulation of personal effort through ritual, asceticism, or intellectual knowledge. While karma and jnana have their place, they are subordinated to this trustful abandonment of oneself to the Lord’s will. In this way, divine grace and human devotion are woven together into a single soteriological vision.

Another distinctive feature is the way scriptural authority is understood and lived. Sri Vaishnavism accords equal reverence to the Sanskrit Vedas and allied texts on the one hand, and to the Tamil hymns of the Alvars, the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, on the other, treating both as authoritative revelation. The tradition’s life is deeply temple-centered: the presence of Vishnu in consecrated images is taken with utmost seriousness, and elaborate rituals, recitation of the Prabandham, and community worship form the backbone of religious practice. Within this framework, the line of acharyas, especially Ramanuja, and the guru–disciple relationship are seen as indispensable channels for understanding, devotion, and grace.