The Happiness that Qualifies Nonduality: Jñāna, Bhakti, and Sukha in Rāmānuja’s Vedārthasaṃgraha

Abstract The great eleventh-century figure, Rāmānuja, belonged to the Śrīvaiṣṇava community that worshiped divine as Viṣṇu-with-Śrī, Lord-and-Consort. But he also embarked on a project develop an interpretation of first-century Vedāntasūtra , which presented supposedly core teachings major Upaniṣads, traditionally last segment sacred corpus Vedas. Rāmānuja sought reconcile devotional commitments Śrīvaiṣṇavism—which was built human yearning for incomprehensibly Other while graciously accessible—with conceptual demands Vedānta in profound identity between individual self ( ātman ) and impersonal, ultimate explanatory principle brahman taught. This reconciliation difference came be called “Qualified Nondualism.” In his earliest work, Vedārthasaṃgraha one ways points is through identifying single state consciousness both cognition nonduality (the Vedāntic project) emotionally valent experience happiness supreme expression encounter with divine). It does not seem systematically pursues this conception how can cognitive affective, such analysis will require independent philosophical analysis. Thus, article argues if were indeed affective way, we would have full explanation approach being Viṣṇu-with-Śrī self’s realization .