Srivaisnavism Philosophy

Visistadvaita (Qualified non-dualism)

Visistadvaita was not only a reaction against the dry speculation of the Mimamsakas and the atheistic thought which followed the intellectual revolution of the Buddha but was also a revival of the theistic Mimamsa advocated by the Vrttikara Bodhyana. Ramanuja in his Vedarthasangraha refers to Tanka, Dramida, Guhadeva, Karpardin and Bharuci as great exponents of this philosophical system.

Visistadvaita fundamental position is that the Supreme Reality is the Highest Personal God, possessing innumerable auspicious qualities and devoid of any inauspicious qualities. The individual soul is a spark of God and is similar to God in respect of cosmic function; God, the Creator of the Universe and the souls always remain separate and subservient to Him and completely dependent upon His existence.

The distinctive feature of Visistadvaita as compared to Advaita and Dvaita is its conception of Reality, which while affirming the ultimate unity of the Absolute allows differentiation through its mode (prakaras) without implying any fundamental difference in the Reality itself.

Prapatti (self surrender)

In the 18th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krsna declares (carama sloka):

sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
Aham tva sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma suca

Abandoning all other means (dharmas) take refuge in me alone:
I will liberate thee from the effect of all sins, grieve not

Prapatti (saranagati or surrender) is not actually a yoga or a process but total resignation of oneself to God and relying upon His grace alone.

Taking refugee of the Lord is the easiest way to God realisation and liberation. In the scriptures we find anecdotes of Prapatti performed by personalities like Gajendra, Hanuman, Jatayu, Draupadi and Kunti. There is no restriction as to time, place and states of purity.

It is not merit, which is the operative cause of Grace but the sense of one's unworthiness and the inability to follow the three conventional yogas (Karma - Action, Jnana - Knowledge, Bhakti - Devotion). The Lord Himself is the means (upaya) as well as the end (upeya) and prapatti is the act of self-surrender to the Lord. Redemption is essentially a justification by faith and not works, although included in the act of self surrender is the resolution to perfect one's act as well.

Lakshmi - The Mediatrix

In Srivaisnavism theology, the Supreme Person expresses His will to redeem by having a dual Spiritual Form - Narayana and Sri.

Lord Narayana with perfect justice rules the universe as Father but Laksmi (Sri) His eternal consort resides within His heart as the embodiment of Saving Grace. – The Universal Mother.

The Lord dispenses justice in accordance with the merit and demerit of the jiva (soul) and Laksmi through her Beauty and Grace captivates the Lord and transforms his desire for justice (nigraha-sakti) into redemptive grace (anugraha-sakti) as she acts as a Mediatrix between the Lords and the jives.

The Lord too, is innately gracious, but His grace is an 'initial' grace (krpa), which is common to all beings. By virtue of this grace one is impelled to seek refuge in Him. But the grace of Sri is specific grace (prasada). It is the saving grace, the action of 'condescension' of the Divine into the realm of being, which permits the jiva to be released.

The great theologian Vedanta Desikan finds all this potentials for salvation in the very name of the Divine Mother. He derives 6 different meaning from the name Sri:

• Sriyate - she who is resorted to by the jivas
• Srayate - she who resorts to the Lord
• Srnoti - she who listens to prayers
• Sravayati - she who causes the Lord to listen
• Srnati - she who removes the past karmas, faults and hindrances in the way of the spiritual aspirant
• Srinati - she who prepares jives for liberation