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Jharkhand P.C.S. Prelims 2021

Vedantic Philosophy

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Who was the founder of Visistadvaita Siddhanta?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: A

Concept Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Non-Dualism) is a Vedantic school that believes Brahman is the supreme reality but is qualified by individual souls and matter.

Explanation Ramanujacharya (11th-12th century) established this school as a counter-argument to Shankara’s absolute non-dualism. He argued that the world and souls are real and form the 'body' of God (Vishnu).

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option A is correct. Ramanuja integrated the emotional Bhakti of the Alvars with the intellectual framework of the Upanishads.
Logic 2: Madhavacharya (D) founded Dvaita (Dualism), and Vallabhacharya (B) founded Shuddhadvaita (Pure Non-Dualism).

Active Recall

Question

What does 'Vishishtadvaita' mean literally?

Answer

It means 'non-duality of the qualified', implying that the individual soul and God are inseparable but distinct in their attributes.

Core Insight

Ramanuja's philosophy was crucial because it provided a solid theological justification for the worship of a personal God with form (Saguna Bhakti).

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