Philosophy of Ramanuja in easy instalments

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Fundamentals of Ramanuja Philosophy

 

Chapter I

 

Section1

 

The upnishadic statement 'brahmavidh ApnOthi param,' that one who know Brahman reaches the ultimate, is the key thought of real revelation. This corresponds to the central theme of Ramanuja philosphy, denoted by Thatthva, hitha and purushArTHa.

 

Let us see what these terms mean:.

 

There are three questions that present to the mind of the one who thirsts for the knolwledge of reality, mentioned as brahmajijnAsA in the Brahmasuthra.They are:

1. What is reality?

2. How do I get the knowledge of it ?

3. What do I gain by it?

 

The answers to these three questions are expounded in the vedantasuthras.(Bahmasuthras).Ramanuja has interpreted these suthras in Sribhashya under the light of visishtadvaita principles and the answers given by Ramanuja to the above three questions are in short, thatthva, hitha and purushArTHa.

1. Thatthva is the answer to the question "What is reality?" The thatthvajnana is the knowledge that Brahman, synonymous with Narayana of Visishtadvaita is the absolute reality, the inner Self of all beings and the substratum of the whole universe of sentient and nonsentient beings.This displays the transcendence and imminence of Brahman.

2.Hitha means that which is good , namely the moral and spiritual discipline that is necessary for acquiring the knowledge of the Supreme Self.In other words it means the sadhana.This answers the second question.

3. purushArTHa is the goal to be attained , that is, the realisation of Brahman, attaining which there is nothing more to be gained and this is the answer to the third question.