Question

In Visistadvaita Vedanta, how is Brahman (God) understood in relation to the universe and individual souls?

• A. Brahman is formless and transcendent, and the universe is merely an illusion.
• B. Brahman is the personal God, whose attributes and forms pervade both the universe and individual souls, which are integral parts of Him.
• C. Brahman is impersonal, and the world exists independently of Him.
• D. Brahman is an illusion, and individual souls are separate from it.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Brahman is the personal God, whose attributes and forms pervade both the universe and individual souls, which are integral parts of Him.

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.