Viṣṇu the Saviour: On the Festival of the Romantic Quarrel (pra ṇayakalahotsava) in the Pāñcarātra sa ṃhit ā s.

Built on the theme of the lovers' quarrel that eventually ends in reconciliation, the Festival of the Romantic Quarrel (praṇayakalahotsava) displays a wide scope of meanings, so far discussed primarily in regard to its current reenactment in the South Indian Vaiṣṇava temples dedicated to Viṣṇu and his wife, Lakṣmī/Śrī. The paper explores the rare treatments of the festival found in the Pāñcarātra saṃhitās, namely the texts which serve as a prescriptive base for the ritual order in many of these temples. The analysis aims to demonstrate how the account of this particular festival might have served to channel ideas connected to a soteriological doctrine of self-surrender to Viṣṇu (prapatti), perhaps as a result of reinterpreting the teachings of the Pāñcarātra under the influence of the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]