Ramanuja was an Indian philosopher who lived from 1017 to 1137 CE and was one of the most important exponents of the Bhakti movement in India. He developed the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita, or qualified non-dualism, which emphasizes devotion to a personal God as the path to liberation. According to Ramanuja's philosophy, Brahman is the ultimate reality and source of all existence, as well as a personal, loving God. The individual self or Atman is not separate from Brahman but part of it, and the goal is to realize this unity and attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Other key aspects of his philosophy include the law of karma, the importance

1. Vishishtadvaita
By
Shuvankar Madhu
Assistant Professor
The University of Burdwan

2. Ramanuja Vedanta Philosophy
Ramanuja was an Indian philosopher and theologian who lived
from 1017 to 1137 CE.
He was one of the most important exponents of the Bhakti
movement in India,
which emphasized devotion to a personal God as the path to
liberation.
Ramanuja's philosophy is known as Vishishtadvaita, which
means "qualified non-dualism."

3. 1. Brahman
According to Ramanuja,
Brahman is the ultimate
reality and the source of all
existence. Brahman is not
just an impersonal force
but a personal God who is
loving and compassionate.
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

4. 2. Atman
The individual self or
Atman is not separate from
Brahman but is a part of it.
The goal of life is to realize
this unity and attain
moksha or liberation from
the cycle of birth and
death.
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

5. 3. Karma
Ramanuja believed in the
law of karma, which states
that every action has a
consequence. Good
actions lead to good
consequences and bad
actions lead to bad
consequences.
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

6. 4. Bhakti
Ramanuja emphasized the
importance of devotion or
bhakti as the path to
liberation. He believed that
through loving devotion to
God, one can attain
spiritual enlightenment.
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

7. 5. Prapatti
In addition to bhakti,
Ramanuja also emphasized
prapatti or surrender to
God as a means of
attaining liberation. Prapatti
involves complete
surrender of the self to
God's will.
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

8. 6. Three realities
Ramanuja believed in three levels of
reality -
paramarthika (ultimate reality),
vyavaharika (empirical reality), and
pratibhasika (illusory reality).
Ultimate reality is Brahman,
empirical reality is the world we
experience, and illusory reality is
our mistaken perception of the
world.
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

9. 7. Ethics:
Ramanuja emphasized the
importance of
ethical behavior as a means of
attaining liberation.
He believed in the principles
of ahimsa (non-violence),
satya (truthfulness), and
dharma (righteousness).
key points of Ramanuja
Vedanta Philosophy

10. References
1. "The Philosophy of Ramanuja" by P.N. Srinivasachari
2. "Ramanuja and His Philosophy" by S. S. Raghavachar
3. "Vishishtadvaita Vedanta: A Study" by S.M. Srinivasa Chari