Q. Which of the following statements with regard to the Vedanta school of philosophy is/are correct?
1.According to Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta, the ultimate reality and the individual self are completely distinct entities.
2.Vedanta centers upon the Jnana-Kanda of the Vedas and is also termed Uttara Mimamsa
3.Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita propounds qualified non-dualism, holding that ultimate unity subsumes multiplicity and that devotion is the path to salvation.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer: C
Notes:
Detailed Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect: Adi Shankara’s Advaita (monistic) philosophy holds that Brahman alone is ultimately real, the individual self (Atman) is non-different from Brahman, and the phenomenal world is an illusory appearance (Maya). The statement describes dualism rather than Advaita.
- Statement 2 is correct: Vedanta literally means the end of the Vedas. It deals with Jnana-Kanda (knowledge contained in the Upanishads) and is known as Uttara Mimamsa (latter inquiry).
- Statement 3 is correct: Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) maintains that Brahman is supreme reality characterized by internal diversity, emphasizing loving devotion (Bhakti) as the primary means to liberation.
