“Men, unacquainted with Vedanta, do not see that all things and all individual selves have Brahman as their self. They think that all terms exhaust their significance by signifying the various objects by themselves, which objects are in reality a part and not the whole of the meaning of terms. Now by the study of Vedanta, they understand that all such objects are the effects of Brahman, that Brahman is the inner ruler of them all and that they are animated by Brahman as their very soul. Therefore they come to understand that all terms signify Brahman itself having as its modes the entities, to which latter alone the terms are applied in common usage.”

—  Ramanuja

Source: Vedartha Sangraham, 11th century, p. 14.

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Ramanuja photo
Ramanuja 5
Hindu philosopher, exegete of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta school 1017–1137

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