The position of Hari and Vayu in Dvaita, Advaita and Visistadvaita schools of Hinduism hierarchy:
At the heart of the divisions in the 3 schools of Vedānta is the position of Hari and Vayu in the Hinduism hierarchy. And this is where Dvaita stands apart. This article gives an explanation, school by school, clearly showing the hierarchy and status of Hari (Viṣṇu) and Vāyu (Mukhya Prāṇa / Hanumān–Bhīma–Madhva), without mixing doctrines.
First: who are Hari and Vāyu?
• Hari = Viṣṇu / Nārāyaṇa / Bhagavān → Supreme Reality
• Vāyu = Mukhya Prāṇa → Chief jīva, cosmic life-force, foremost devotee and servant of Hari
Now let’s see how each school positions them.
1. Dvaita Vedānta (Madhvācārya) 
• Clear, fixed, eternal hierarchy
Hari (Viṣṇu) 
• Supreme, independent reality (Svatantra tattva)
• Possesses infinite auspicious qualities
• Cause, sustainer, controller of everything
• Never subject to ignorance, karma, or bondage Hari alone is Parabrahman
Vāyu (Mukhya Prāṇa) 
• Highest jīva (but still a jīva, not God)
• Eternally dependent on Hari (paratantra) 
• Greatest knower of Hari among all souls
• Instrument of creation, sustenance, dissolution
• Incarnates as Hanumān → Bhīma → Madhva
Dvaita Hierarchy (simplified)
Hari (Viṣṇu) – Supreme, independent
↓
Vāyu (Mukhya Prāṇa) – highest jīva
↓
Brahmā
↓
Other Devas
↓
Humans
↓
Other beings 
Key Dvaita doctrine:
Difference (bheda) between Hari and Vāyu is real, eternal, and never erased, even in mokṣa. 
Devotion flow:
All worship → through Vāyu → reaches Hari (This is why Madhva tradition emphasizes Vāyu so strongly.)
2. Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta (Rāmānuja) 
Qualified non-dualism with hierarchy inside unity
Hari (Nārāyaṇa)
• Supreme Brahman with attributes
• The inner controller (Antaryāmin) of all
• Souls and matter are His body
• Absolutely supreme, personal God
Vāyu 
• A very exalted jīva
• One of the highest eternal servants of Nārāyaṇa
• Has great power and knowledge due to divine grace
• Still a mode (prakāra) of Brahman, not independent Relationship
• Hari is the whole
• Vāyu is a part of the whole
• Difference exists, but within inseparable unity
Nārāyaṇa (Brahman)
├─ Vāyu (highest servant-soul)
├─ Other devas
├─ Humans
└─ Matter 
Key difference from Dvaita:
Hierarchy is real, but not absolute separation. All beings are organically united to Nārāyaṇa. 
In mokṣa:
Vāyu remains eternally distinct but always in blissful service.
3. Advaita Vedānta (Śaṅkara) 
No eternal hierarchy at the highest level
Ultimate Reality
• Nirguṇa Brahman (attribute-less, impersonal)
• No distinctions at the highest truth (pāramārthika)
Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Īśvara at the empirical level (vyāvahārika)
• Brahman associated with māyā
• Worshipped for liberation, but ultimately transcended
Vāyu 
• A deva within māyā • A functional cosmic force • No eternal superiority over other jīvas
Advaita Levels of Truth
Level  Status
Pāramārthika No Hari, no Vāyu, no hierarchy
Vyāvahārika Hari as Īśvara, Vāyu as deva
Prātibhāsika Illusory distinctions
Brahman (non-dual)
↓ (appearance through māyā) Īśvara (Hari), Vāyu, Devas, Jīvas 
In mokṣa:
• No Hari–Vāyu distinction
• No servant–Lord relationship
• Only identity with Brahman
This is completely incompatible with Dvaita theology.
Side-by-side comparison
Aspect  Dvaita Viśiṣṭādvaita  Advaita
Hari  Supreme, personal God  Supreme personal Brahman  Empirical Īśvara
Vāyu  Highest jīva, eternal  Exalted jīva  Deva under māyā
Hierarchy  Eternal, absolute  Real but organic  Ultimately unreal
Difference  Eternal bheda  Difference-in-unity  Dissolved in mokṣa
Mokṣa  Eternal service  Eternal service  Identity with Brahman
Summary:
• Dvaita: Hari is infinitely supreme; Vāyu is eternally the greatest servant
• Viśiṣṭādvaita: Hari is the whole; Vāyu is the highest part
• Advaita: Ultimately, there is neither Hari nor Vāyu — only Brahman
⸻ If you want next, I can:
• Contrast Madhva vs Rāmānuja on Vāyu specifically
• Explain why Advaita rejects tarātamya
• Show Hanumān–Bhīma–Madhva continuity verse-by-verse
• Give a Kannada-only explanation with quotations Just tell me 
8. Clean comparison table
Aspect  Dvaita (Madhva)  Viśiṣṭādvaita (Rāmānuja)
Vāyu’s rank  Eternally highest jīva  Exalted but not unique
Tarātamya  Eternal  Functional
Relation to Brahmā  Higher  Comparable
Mediation  Essential  Not essential
Mokṣa status  Hierarchy remains  Bliss equal
Hanumān–Bhīma–Madhva  Same Vāyu  No such doctrine
 9. One-sentence essence
• Dvaita: Vāyu is eternally second only to Hari
• Viśiṣṭādvaita: Vāyu is one among the greatest servants of Hari
• Advaita: Ultimately, there is neither servant nor Lord
Hari Sarvotthama Vayu Jeevotthama
The simplest description of Dvaita is the slogan “Hari Sarvotthama Vayu Jeevotthama”. There are equivalent slogans in Advaita and Visishtadvaita
Each Vedānta system really does condense into a slogan. Just like Dvaita is remembered by “Hari Sarvōttama, Vāyu Jīvōttama”, given below are the traditional equivalents for Advaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita, with brief explanations.
Advaita Vedānta (Śaṅkara)  Core slogan “Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithyā, Jīvo Brahmaiva Nāparaḥ”
Meaning • Brahman alone is real • The world is ultimately unreal (dependent/illusory) • The individual soul is not different from Brahman
Why this fits Advaita perfectly?
• No hierarchy • No eternal Hari–Vāyu–Jīva distinction • Mokṣa = realization of identity 
One-line Advaita essence: There is only one reality, and you already are that.
Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta (Rāmānuja)  Core slogan (most accepted) “Śrīman Nārāyaṇaḥ Eva Parabrahma”
Meaning • Śrīman Nārāyaṇa alone is the Supreme Brahman This is the identity marker of Viśiṣṭādvaita.
Expanded Viśiṣṭādvaita slogan (often taught) “Śrīman Nārāyaṇaḥ Eva Parabrahma Jīva–Jagat Tasya Śarīram”
Meaning • Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme • Souls and the world are His body • Difference exists, but within inseparable unity 
One-line Viśiṣṭādvaita essence: God is one, with souls and matter as His modes.
Dvaita Vedānta (for completeness)  Core slogan “Hariḥ Sarvōttamaḥ, Vāyuḥ Jīvōttamaḥ”
Meaning • Hari is the Supreme God • Vāyu is the highest soul • Eternal hierarchy is real
Side-by-side snapshot
School  Core slogan  Core idea
Advaita  Brahma satyam…  Absolute non-duality
Viśiṣṭādvaita  Śrīman Nārāyaṇaḥ eva parabrahma  Qualified non-duality
 Dvaita  Hari sarvōttama, Vāyu jīvōttama  Eternal dualism
 One-line comparative intuition
• Advaita: Only Brahman exists
• Viśiṣṭādvaita: Only Nārāyaṇa exists — with attributes
• Dvaita: Hari exists supremely — others eternally depend ⸻