"The broad category suggested by the term “Vaishnava” has been acknowledged by most scholars to encompass the majority of Hindu believers. This includes the veneration of Vishnu, Narayana, Lakshmi, Krishna, Rama, Sita and the remaining avatars (incarnations) with their female consorts, saints, sectarian leaders and followers. A very important division within Vaishnavism is comprised of the mythology and worship of Krishna, one of Hinduism’s most beloved deities. Yet, the “Krishna” traditions themselves are by no means uniform regarding the nature of the personality of Krishna nor the methods of worship. Divided into “normative” and “alternative”, the normative Krishna tradition is based primarily on a canon of early Sanskrit texts, while the so-called alternative Krishna traditions may or may not include these Radhavallabha Sampradaya (RVS)] along with regional or vernacular sources."