A Note on the Importance of the Arcāvatāra for the Medieval Śrīvaiṣṇava Ācāryas

Abstract

In A Note on the Importance of the Arcāvatāra for the Medieval Śrīvaiṣṇava Ācāryas, Suganya Anandakichenin explores the centrality of the arcāvatāra—the manifestation of the divine in consecrated images—in the theology of the medieval Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition. Drawing on the writings of key ācāryas, the article argues that arcāvatāra is not merely symbolic but constitutes a fully real, ontologically valid form of Viṣṇu, embodying both his transcendence (paratva) and his intimate accessibility (saulabhya).

The study highlights how qualities such as divine beauty (saundarya) and grace are perceived to be most potently present in the arcā form, surpassing even other manifestations such as para, vyūha, and vibhava. Through this form, the divine becomes approachable to all devotees, facilitating a personal, emotional, and ritual connection celebrated in the devotional poetry of the Āḻvārs and the theological elaborations of later ācāryas. The article ultimately underscores the arcāvatāra as the most suitable mode of divine presence for cultivating bhakti in embodied, everyday contexts.