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Tattvam - Conception of reality

Visistadvaita admits three fundamental realities individual souls (cit), matter (acit) and Isvara and on the basis of organic relation upholds that the ultimate reality is one as a unity.

Matter (acit) and individual self (cit) are absolutely dependent on Isvara for their existence, the dependence being similar to that of body upon self.

The universe forms the body of Isvara and He is the universal Self not only of the unconcious matter (acit) but also of the concious selfs (cit's).

Body is that which an indwelling self supports and controls for its own services.

Matter and selfs, being the body of Isvara, are supported and controlled by him for his own purposes. This view of the relation of inseparability (aprthaksiddhi) between body and soul, the universe (cit & acit) and Isvara brings out the intimate connection between substance and attribute, where Isvara is substance and the world of matter and selfs form his inseparable attributes.

This conception of organic unity maybe illustrated by the instance of a mango.

The color, taste, smell, flesh, shell and the fibre which constitue the whole fruit can be distinguished as being different from one another. Each element in the fruit has its own distinctive attributes. Yet when all these are united, the synthetic whole is regarded as a mango.

What is common to all the different parts is their inseparable existence.

Of the various elements, we can regard any particular one as the substantive element (visesya) and the rest as attributive elements (visesanas).

Visitadvaita notes that the attributive elements (matter and selfs) and the substantive element (Isvara) form a synthetic unity.


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