Question

According to Visistadvaita Vedanta, how does the individual soul (jiva) attain liberation (moksha)?

• A. By devotion (bhakti) and surrender to a personal God, realizing itself as an integral part of Brahman
• B. Through self-willed detachment from all forms of religious practice
• C. By realizing that it is completely identical with Brahman and that all difference is illusion
• D. Through acts of penance and ascetic isolation from the world

Answer 1

Answer:

A. By devotion (bhakti) and surrender to a personal God, realizing itself as an integral part of Brahman

Visishtadvaita Vedanta Visistadvaita, or “qualified non-dualism,” affirms that only God truly exists, but emphasizes that God possesses attributes and a personal form. According to Ramanujacharya, Brahman is a personal deity (God), and both the universe and individual souls (Jivas) are real but exist as part of God's body. Liberation is attained when the soul realizes its essential unity with Paramatman (God), not as identical, but as an integral part. Through devotion and surrender, the liberated soul experiences eternal bliss and divine consciousness in union with God.