RAS question
The Bhakti saint Ramanuja (11th-12th century) propounded:
Correct answer: (A) Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) philosophy.
Ramanuja, the 11th-12th century Bhakti saint, propounded Vishishtadvaita, or qualified non-dualism.
Explanation
Ramanuja is associated with Vishishtadvaita, not a strict monist or dualist school. His view is a qualified non-dualism in which the atman is real and distinct, yet part of Brahman, understood in Vaishnava terms as God or Vishnu. This is why option A is the precise answer. The PIB release also links Sri Ramanujacharya with Vishishtadvaita and notes that he is regarded as a founder of Bhakti Marg, which fits the emphasis on devotion to Vishnu as the path to moksha. His importance for RAS is not only doctrinal: Press Information Bureau, Government of India presents him as a figure associated with equality across faith, caste and creed, connecting his philosophy with the wider social appeal of the Bhakti movement.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Dvaita means dualism, whereas the question and the PIB-supported account identify Ramanuja with Vishishtadvaita, a qualified non-dualism rather than a purely dualist doctrine.
- (C) Advaita, or absolute monism, is the school associated with Shankaracharya, while Ramanuja opposed that position and taught Vishishtadvaita.
- (D) Shunyavada is the doctrine of voidness, but Ramanuja is associated instead with Vishishtadvaita and Bhakti Marg.
Concept
This tests the medieval Bhakti movement and its major philosophical schools. RAS repeats this area because saint-traditions, Vaishnavism and social reform themes often appear together in Indian cultural history questions.