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.