Lord Nrayana, Brahman of Visishtadvaita

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7.Lord Narayana-Brahman of Visishtadvaita.

 

 

 

The theory of causality depends on the theory of

Reality. The Reality, that is Brahaman of Visishtadvaita is Lord

Narayana. Ramanuja proves this by quoting various passages such as

those in Mahopanishad and Subalopanishad which declare that Narayana

alone existed in the beginning and everything is the sarira of Him, the

indweller of all. Ramanuja in his Sribhashya, claims that Narayana is

the Paramakaarana, the ultimate cause and says that the words 'sat',

'Brahman' and 'Aathman,' used in various contexts in the Upanishads

denote Narayana only. Narayana is savisesha, not saguna, as the words

satyam jnanam anantham refer to His svarupa and therefore inseparable

from Him. Besides He is ananthakalyanagunavisishta, possessing

innumerable auspicious qualities

 

 

 

Ramanuja proceeds to define Brahman and examines the

terms satyam, jnanam and anantham which constitute the definition of

Brahaman. The term satyam differentiates Brahman from cit and acit

which are, though real , conditoned by adjuncts like time, place, entity

etc while Brahman has the nirupaadhika satthaa, unconditioned

existence.. In contrast to the cit and acit which change their names and

forms and thus have conditioned existence, the word Satyam is used with

reference to Brahman to denote that it is immutable.

 

 

 

In Visishtadvaita there are three reals, Isvara, jiva

and jagat. The world is real because it originated from Brahman and is

sustained by Brahman as its eternal self. Ramanuja calls Brahman '

satyasya satyam,' whcih means that Brahman is the reality behind all the

reals. The scriptural authority for this happens to be none other than

the text in Brhadhaaranyaka Upanishad which is quoted by the

non-dualists to negate the world as unreal. The text goes loke

this.'nethi nethi nahyethasmaath ithi nethyanyathparam asthi;atha

naamadheyam satyasyasatyam ithi.' It negates everything as being

non-brahman, which is the suprme truth and hence Brahman is called

'satyasya satyam.'

 

 

 

According to Ramanuja what is negated by the declaration

'nethi netni' is not all specifications or qualities in Brahman but only

the parimithathva or limitedness of qualities. The term 'satyasya

satyam' to define Brhman indicates that Brahman is the real essence of

everything and does not mean that everything except Brahman is unreal.

Brahman is the absolute reality, from which the world of cit and acit

derives its existence and which, is the indwelling Self of everything.

Brahadhaaranyaka text enumerates everything from earth to the sentient

self and declares that Brahman is the athman of all.

 

 

 

 

 

Berahman defined as jnanam, saya Ramanuja, indicates its

nature as that of unlimited and eternal knowledge. Brahman is not

pureconsciousness as in advaita but only svsrupanirupakadharma like

satya. Brahman is jnaasraya and jnansvarupa and this jnana is self

luminous as per the texts of Upanishads 'jyothishaam jyothih, light of

the lights,' and 'thameva bhaanthm anubhaathi sarvam thasya bhaasaa

sarvamidham vibhaathi, only through light of Brahman everything else

shines, or becomes known,'ekavijnanena sarvavijnanam.' This luminosity

of Brahmanis is the infinite jnana.Brahman and jnana are inseparable

like the lamp and its luminosity. While Brahman recals everythng through

its jnana no other jnana is required to reveal Brahman as otherwise it

becomes an object of knowledge and the omniscience would be lost.

 

 

 

Jnana is not only the essential attribute of Brahman but

also eternal for the very reason that Brahman is eternal. Jnana in

Visishtadvaita is not identical with Brahman as claimed by advaita nor

it is a guna of the self, as professed by Nyaya-vaiseshika, but an

essential attribute inseparable from Brahman,being its

svarupanirupakadharma.

 

 

 

The term anantha is also a svarupanirupaka dharma of Brahman

which diffefentiates Brahman from cit and acit . The latter are finite ,

desakalaparicchinna, limited by place, time and entity but Brahman is

anantha, infinite, desa kalaparicchinnarahitha. A pot for instance is

desa paricchinna when we say that it is here and not there. Similarly it

is kalaparicchinna since it was not here yesterday but prescent only

today. Vasthu paricchinnathva , limitation by entity means being limited

by the form as when we say that the pot is not the cloth. Brahman is

free from all the three conditioning, being ever existent, all pervading

and advithiya, without a second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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