Ayyavazhi emerges from the Tamil Hindu milieu yet reshapes it in a distinctive, monistic direction. Its theological center of gravity rests on Ekam, the formless supreme reality, and on Ayya Vaikundar, regarded as the final and complete incarnation of Narayana or Vishnu, who supersedes earlier avatars. This focus effectively displaces the traditional Hindu Trimurti and the broader pantheon, yielding a more exclusive devotion to a single salvific figure. While mainstream Hinduism accommodates a wide range of deities and philosophical schools, Ayyavazhi tends toward a stricter monism in which other divine forms are subordinated to Vaikundar. The narrative of the present age, Kali Yukam, is framed as a time dominated by a concrete evil force to be overcome by Vaikundar, giving the tradition a pronounced eschatological and reformist thrust.

The scriptural world of Ayyavazhi is also markedly its own. Rather than grounding authority primarily in the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and other pan-Indian texts, it turns to the Akilattirattu Ammanai and the Arul Nool as its central revelations. These works reinterpret mythic cycles and cosmic history, articulating a vision that culminates in the establishment of a renewed order, often described as a future golden age or Dharma Yukam. While there is acknowledgment of broader Hindu literature, the interpretive lens is decisively shaped by these Ayyavazhi-specific scriptures, which recast both divine action and human destiny in a distinctive light.

In the sphere of practice and community life, Ayyavazhi departs from many conventional Hindu patterns. Worship is centered in Pathis and Nizhal Thangals rather than in standard temple complexes, and the ritual life is comparatively simple, emphasizing scripture-based recitation, meditation, prayer, and communal sharing such as collective meals. Elaborate Vedic-Agamic rites, hereditary priesthood, and strong temple hierarchies recede in importance; leadership in worship is more closely tied to community elders than to a formal priestly class. This simplicity of ritual is closely bound to a powerful social ethic that rejects caste discrimination and sacralized hierarchy, stressing equality and the uplift of marginalized communities. In this way, theological vision, scriptural narrative, and social reform are woven together into a single, integrated path.