Philosophy of Ramanuja

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The purpose of creation

 

Thus it has been established that Brahman is the material as well as the efficient cause of the world. But the question remains to be answered is that why should He create the world at all? Brahman of visishtadvaita is avaaptahasamastha kaama, one who one who has no unfulfilled desire. Usually things are produced in the world either for one's own use or for that of others. The first alternative is shown to be absent because Brahman is avApthasamasthakAma and the second also can be disproved. If Brahman creates for others it must be as an anugraha or for showering grace in which case He would not have created this world full of sorrow, as He is full of mercy.

 

Ramanuja answers this in his commentary to the brahmasuthra `lokavattu leelaakaivalyam.'(Sri Bhashya 2.1.33)

 

The purpose of creation is nothing else but play, like a king who has everything indulges in sport just to amuse himself. This gives rise to the critcism that if the creation is for sport it exposes Brahman to the charge of cruelty in creating a world full of inequalities and making the beings suffer. But the scripture declares that Brahman takes into consideration the karmas of the souls in creating the different conditions of the beings in the world. So what appears to be a sport on the part of Brahman is purposeful from the point of view of the individual soul. The word leela is used to indicate effortlessness on the part of Brahman in creating the world of sentient and insentient beings.

 

Ramanuja accepts the theory of evolution as given out by Sankhya that the prakrti or the insentient primordial nature constituted of three gunas evolves into the world of matter by the combination of three gunas. He only adds that the entire process of creation is willed and controlled by Brahman. The seven thatthvas or principles which are the effects of prakrti are the causal substances of everything else. These are, mahat or buddhi, ahankara, and the five subtle matter of the elements. From these evolve the gross elements, ten indriyas and the mind. Ramanuja opposes the theory of causation of Sankhya only in their not accepting Brahmanas the inner self of all beings, sentient and insentient.