In contrast to Vishnuism the following points are characteristic of orthodox Brahmanism (Cankara’s Vedantism):  The orthodox believe that there is one spirit in three forms, co-eternal impersonal essences—­being, knowledge, and joy.  When it wills it becomes personal, exists in the object, knows, rejoices, associating itself with illusion.  In this state it has three corporeal forms, causal, subtile, gross.  With the causal body (identified with illusion, ignorance) it becomes the Supreme Lord, that is, the totality of dreamless human spirits.  With the subtile form it becomes the golden seed, or thread-spirit (dreaming spirits); with the gross form it becomes V[=i]r[=a]j, V[=a]icv[=a]nara, the waking spirit.  The lowest state is that of being wide awake.  The personal god (Brahm[=a], Vishnu, Civa, of the sectaries) is this it as influenced by the three qualities, rajas, sattva, tamas (passion, truth, and ignorance), respectively.  Three essences, three corporeal forms, and three qualities constitute, therefore, the threefold trinity of the orthodox, who are called Sm[=a]rtas, they that ’hold to tradition.’[88] What the sectary rejects, namely, the scriptures (Veda and Upanishads, etc.) and the caste system, that the orthodox retains; what the sectary holds, namely, R[=a]m[=a]nuja’s qualified non-duality, and absolute godhead in Civa or Krishna, that the orthodox rejects (although he may receive the sectary’s god into his pantheon).  Some of the sects still keep respect for caste, excusing their respect on the ground that “it is well enough for God to ignore social distinctions, but not for man.”  But caste-distinctions are generally ignored, or there is positive hate of the Brahman.  In antithesis to the orthodox, the sectaries all hold one other important tenet.  From the idea of bhakti, faith or devotion, was developed that of love for Krishna, and then (as an indication of devotion) the confession of the name of the Lord as a means of grace.  Hence, on the one hand, the meaningless repetition of the sect’s special kirttan or liturgies, and mantra, or religious formula; the devotion, demanded by the priest, of man, tan, dhan (mind, body,[89] and property); and finally, the whole theory of death-bed confessions.  Sinner or heretic, if one die at last with Krishna’s name upon the lips he will be saved.[90]

Of the sub-divisions of the sub-sects that we have described, the numbers often run into scores.  But either their differences are based on indifferent matters of detail in the cult and religious practice; or the new sect is distinguished from the old simply by its endeavor to make for greater holiness or purity as sub-reformers of older sects.  For all the sects appear to begin as reformers, and later to split up in the process of re-reformation.

Two general classes of devotees, besides these, remain to be spoken of.  The Sanny[=a]sin, ‘renouncer,’ was of old a Brahman ascetic.  Nowadays, according to Wilson, he is generally a Civaite mendicant.  But any sect may have its Sanny[=a]sins, as it may have its V[=a]ir[=a]gins, ‘passionless ones’; although the latter name generally applies to the Vishnuite ascetics of the South.