# Ācāryas *Spiritual teachers and preceptors in the Vaiṣṇava tradition* **Total entries:** 133 *** ## Four Vaiṣṇava Sampradāyas *Founders and principal ācāryas of the four authorized Vaiṣṇava lineages* ### Śrī Sampradāya (Lakṣmī-sampradāya) - [[index/entries/ramanuja-acarya|Rāmānuja Ācārya]] - Founder of Viśiṣṭādvaita philosophy - [[index/entries/ramanujacarya|Rāmānujācārya]] - Alternative reference - [[index/entries/yamunacarya|Yāmunācārya]] - Predecessor and grandfather of Rāmānuja ### Brahma-Madhva Sampradāya - [[index/entries/madhvacarya|Madhvācārya]] - Founder of Dvaita (dualistic) philosophy - [[index/entries/madhvacarya-srila|Madhvācārya, Śrīla]] - Respectful reference - [[index/entries/vijayadhvaja-tirtha|Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha]] - Ācārya in Madhva line - [[index/entries/madhavacarya|Mādhavācārya]] - Commentator in Madhva tradition ### Rudra Sampradāya - [[index/entries/vallabhacarya|Vallabhācārya]] - Founder of Puṣṭimārga tradition - [[index/V#visnusvami|Viṣṇusvāmī]] - Original founder (entry to be added) ### Kumāra Sampradāya - [[index/N#nimbarka|Nimbārka]] - Founder (entry to be added) ## Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava Ācāryas *Teachers in Lord Caitanya's lineage through Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya* ### Pañca-tattva Teachers - [[index/entries/advaita-acarya|Advaita Ācārya]] - Incarnation aspect of Pañca-tattva, teacher of bhakti ### Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana *Direct disciples of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu who established Vṛndāvana* - [[index/entries/rupa-gosvami|Rūpa Gosvāmī]] - Leading Gosvāmī, rasika-ācārya - [[index/entries/sanatana-gosvami|Sanātana Gosvāmī]] - Elder brother of Rūpa, systematizer - [[index/entries/jiva-gosvami|Jīva Gosvāmī]] - Nephew of Rūpa, philosopher - [[index/entries/gopala-bhatta-gosvami|Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī]] - Compiler of sat-kriyā-sāra-dīpikā - [[index/entries/raghunatha-bhatta-gosvami|Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī]] - Expert in bhāgavata recitation - [[index/entries/raghunatha-dasa-gosvami|Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī]] - Exemplar of renunciation ### Later Gauḍīya Ācāryas - [[index/entries/bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-gosvami|Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī]] - Founder of Gauḍīya Maṭha - [[index/entries/bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura|Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]] - Alternative reference - [[index/entries/bhaktivinoda-thakura|Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura]] - Father of Bhaktisiddhānta - [[index/entries/visvanatha-cakravarti-thakura|Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura]] - Commentator - [[index/entries/baladeva-vidyabhusana|Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa]] - Author of Govinda-bhāṣya - [[index/entries/narottama-dasa-thakura|Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura]] - Author of Prārthanā - [[index/entries/krsnadasa-kaviraja-gosvami|Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī]] - Author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta ## Contemporary Teachers ### ISKCON Founder-Ācārya - [[index/entries/prabhupada|Śrīla Prabhupāda]] - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami - [[index/entries/bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada|Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda]] - Full title ## Historical Ācāryas ### Ancient Vedic Teachers - [[index/entries/suta-gosvami|Sūta Gosvāmī]] - Speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam - [[index/entries/vyasadeva|Vyāsadeva]] - Compiler of Vedas - [[index/entries/narada-muni|Nārada Muni]] - Spiritual master of Vyāsa - [[index/entries/sukadeva-gosvami|Śukadeva Gosvāmī]] - Son of Vyāsa, speaker of Bhāgavatam ### Śaṅkarācārya Tradition - [[index/entries/sankaracarya|Śaṅkarācārya]] - Founder of Advaita Vedānta - [[index/S#sankara-acarya|Śaṅkara Ācārya]] - Alternative reference ## General References - [[index/entries/acarya|Ācārya(s)]] - General term for spiritual teachers - [[index/entries/spiritual-master|Spiritual master(s)]] - English equivalent - [[index/entries/guru|Guru(s)]] - Sanskrit term for teacher ## Related Topics ### Philosophical Works by Ācāryas - [[index/entries/bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu|Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu]] - By Rūpa Gosvāmī - [[index/entries/bhagavad-gita|Bhagavad-gītā]] - With ācārya commentaries - [[index/entries/vedanta-sutra|Vedānta-sūtra]] - With various bhāṣyas - [[index/entries/srimad-bhagavatam|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]] - With commentaries ### Sampradāya Systems - [[index/entries/madhva-gaudiya-sampradaya|Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya]] - Combined lineage - [[index/entries/madhva-sampradaya|Madhva-sampradāya]] - Original Madhva line - [[index/entries/disciplic-succession|Disciplic succession]] - Paramparā system - [[index/entries/parampara|Paramparā]] - Chain of spiritual teachers *** *See also:* [Devotees](devotees.md) · [Six Gosvāmīs](six-goswamis.md) · [Caitanya Associates](caitanya-associates.md) · [Browse by Letter](../A.md) · [Main Index](../index.md)