Vishishtadvaita

Vishishtadvaita, meaning qualified non-dualism, is a school of Vedanta within Hindu philosophy and the Vaishnavism tradition. It was formulated by the Bengali–Tamil scholar Ramanuja (c. 1017–1137) in South India and became a major influence on Sri Vaishnavism. The system engages with the idea of unity and multiplicity in a theistic framework, contrasting with Advaita Vedanta’s strict monism and Dvaita’s strict dualism.

Ontology and cosmology center on Brahman as Narayana or Vishnu, the supreme person with infinite attributes. The individual souls (jivas) and the material world are real and constitute Brahman’s body or internal attributes; they are inseparably related to Brahman but retain their own distinctive identities. The universe is not illusion; it is a real manifestation within the divine, and souls are eternally dependent on God for existence and liberation.

Epistemology and soteriology emphasize bhakti (devotion) and prapatti (absolute surrender). Scriptural knowledge, grace, and steadfast devotion lead to moksha, which for Ramanuja means eternal service to God in Vaikuntha rather than a impersonal merge. The relationship between the soul and God is “achintya bheda abheda”—inconceivable unity and difference: the jiva and the divine are one in essence yet distinct in attributes.

Scriptural basis and hermeneutics place authority in the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita, with Ramanuja’s Sri Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras articulating the system. Vishishtadvaita underpins the Sri Vaishnava worship, temple culture, and social organization in South India and has influenced later devotional and philosophical thought within Hinduism.

Overall, Vishishtadvaita presents a theistic, devotional interpretation of Vedanta that affirms real diversity within an overarching, personal unity.