Abstract

Ramanuja’s philosophy is also known as Vishishtadvaita Vedanta. The Upanishads, which are also referred to as the Vedas because they come after the Vedas, serve as its foundation, much like other Vedic systems do as well. It is difficult to create a philosophical framework based on the Upanishads. The problem is that there are two categories of claims in these latter Vedic writings that seem to contradict one another. One set of assertions connects Brahman, the supreme reality, with the universe (jagat) and the individual souls (jiva) that reside therein. The Upanishads also have a different set of assertions that make a distinct distinction between these three—jagat, jiva, and Brahman—clearly. At the heart of Vedantic philosophy is the triad of Brahman, jiva, and jagat, which represents nature of reality, independent beings, and the universe. In fact, it is quite crucial. The body-soul link of Brahman, jagat, and jiva is then further discussed by Ramanuja. He holds that the jivas and jagats make up Brahman, who is their soul. Then he claims that when the Upanishads make a distinction between jagat, jiva, and Brahman, they are simply referring toward an actual facts that can be noticed. The Upanishads speak to the inseparability of Brahman and jagat and jiva when they state that they are same (and not identity, as Shankara would have us believe). This also explains the meaning of the phrase Vishishtadvaita, which stands for non-dualism or the unity of the qualified and the embodied. The creativity and intelligence with which the Upanishadic dilemma was addressed has to make a lasting impression on one. Another paradox in the Upanishads is the description of Brahman as either nirguna, or lacking distinctive traits or attributes, or as saguna, or possessing them. In Advaita Vedanta, this nirguna Brahman is equated with pure (objectless) consciousness. According to Ramanuja, consciousness as we understand it is always cognizant of something, and objectless consciousness is a pure abstraction. He selects saguna as the highest manifestation of Brahman as a result, understanding any mention of it as nirguna to signify that it had "no negative attributes." The ultimate reality is a physical individual rather than an impersonal idea. It is not an Absolute; rather, it is God, whom followers love and who loves them in return. In this way, Ramanuja formed the trinity of Brahman, Jagat, Jiva and the nature of brahmin. The purpose of this research paper is to answer the following questions: firstly, what is the concept of The Visishtadvaita Philosophy of Ramanuja? Secondly, what is the significance of Ramanuja’s epistemology in bhakti? Thirdly, why is soteriology necessary in an individual’s life according to Ramanuja?

Keywords