Is Vaishnavism monotheistic or polytheistic

Answer 1

100% Monotheistic. Lord Krishna/Vishnu is the only God to be worshiped ie. He is the Parabrahmn; Rama, Narasimha and Vamana being His other Representations, the worship of whom would yield the same result ie. Salvation. Apart from the above mentioned Major Forms, the Srimad Bhagavatam describes minor forms or "Ansha Avataras" such as Dattatreya, Parashurama, Rishabha, Kapila, Vyasa etc. Unlike the major Avataras, these "Ansha Avataras" are born human beings who, through sincere devotional service, attained self-realization.

In Vaishnavism, the other Hindu deities such as Rudra, Shakti, Surya and Ganesha are respected, but nonetheless, regarded as creations of the Parabrahmn ie. Shri Krishna/Vishnu, and hence cannot be accorded the same status as Him. In most Vaishnava schools of thought, the Parabrahmn does have Attributes: form, color, body and shape, being some of the countless attributes It possesses, including Attributelessness (Nirguna state), which in itself is considered to be an Attribute of the Parabrahmn!

However, one more striking feature about Vaishnavism is its belief in the Parabrahmn reincarnating for the benefit of the Jivas (understand this term to mean souls caught in the cycle of birth and death). Vaishnavism very much understands that God is beyond birth and death, and is beyond pleasure and sorrow, and the modes of material nature (ie. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas). Nonetheless, He enters the birth-death cycle and performs Karma as a part of His own Divine Pastimes, as per His own wish, and is certainly not bound by Karma as individual "baddha" ie. bound Jivas like all of us are. However, in case of certain other Avataras such as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha and Narasimha, the Lord is not known to have entered the birth-death cycle at all. In a nutshell, the Lord is Omnipotent, His Attributes, Powers, Pastimes...all are inconceivable!!

Jai Jai Rama Krishna Hari!!