Vishnuism
Vishnuism
(Visnuism) One of the major philosophico-religious groups into which Hinduism has articulated itself. It glorifies Vishnu as the supreme being who creates and maintains the world periodically by means of his bhuti and kriya saktis (q.v.) or powers of becoming and producing, corresponding to the causae materialis et efficiens. The place of man’s soul in this development is explained variously depending on the relation it maintains to the world-ground conceived in Vishnuite fashion. — K.F.L.