Home > Society > Religion in India > Svarupa and Svabhava of God
Svarupa and Svabhava of God
Svarupa and Svabhava of God have been mentioned by Ramanuja in his monumental work of Sri Bhasya.

Share this Article:

Svarupa and Svabhava of God are two kinds of Divine essence that have been elaborated by Ramanuja in a theory. According to Ramanuja, Brahman is not featureless, attribute less, indefinite and vague presence who cannot be worshipped. Instead the supreme has a classic form. He has no limit as he can take any form and as he pervades every being.

In Himself or in his Svarupa he assists fivefold characteristic. They are Satyam, Jnanam, Anatam, Ananda and Amalatva. Stayma is not bound by any conditions neither it is eternal. Jnanam is permanently not contracted and all grasping knowledge as the Supreme focus. Anantam is unlimited excellence that is categorized by time and space. Ananda is immeasurable and cannot be alleviated. Amalatva means freedom from the hold of Karma which is the cause of all imperfections in Jivas. Jnana is not merely an attribute it is an essential nature of Brahman. Ananda is description of the conscious nature of Brahman. However Ramanuja often describes Brahman as Jnananandaika svarupa. All the five attributes constitute his essence as also his inherent attributes. They are known technically as his Svarupa.

The attributes that form his Svabhava are different from the attributes that form Svarupa. Kalyana-gunas or countless auspicious qualities have been elaborated by Ramanuja. Svabhava is distinguished from the inherent nature as the qualities manifested in him in relation to finite beings. Six qualities are identified with the characteristics forming Svabhava. These are described in the Vishnu Purana as powers that characterise God. These qualities are Jnana (omniscience), Bala (omnipotence) Aisvarya (lordship), Shakti (creative power), Vnya (immutability) and Tejas (splendour). However there are countless auspicious qualities, the above-mentioned are the most important.

The other important qualities among these are Gambhirya (inestimable grandeur), Audarya (generosity) and Karunya (compassion). Through the enumeration of these qualities Ramanuja wants to indicate that he does not accept Advaitic conception of Brahman.

This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to content@indianetzone.com


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in Religion in India

Religion in Indus Valley Civilization
Religion in Indus Valley Civilisation included Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Details about the religion in Indus Valley Civilization have been gathered from archaeological artefacts.
Shaivism Religion
Shaivism is the second largest “religious community” in modern India with its roots deeply seated in the Hindu Vedic belief.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is among the more popular denominations of Hinduism, with its own distinctive ideas about spirituality and morality. Vaishnavism concentrates on worshipping god Vishnu and of his incarnations.
Hinduism Religion
Hinduism is more of a philosophy which is a way of living according to the understanding of the principles of Vedas and Upanishads.
Islam
Islam is a religion that beliefs in Allah as the one and only God and creator of the Universe. Islamic law or Sharia is characterised by the five pillars of Islam which comprise the essential duties of every Muslim.
Christianity
Christianity is a religion based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ and it is the largest religion in the world.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and a philosophy that encompasses a wide variety of beliefs, practices and traditions that are chiefly based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha and its later disciples.
Jainism
Jainism chronologically preceded the religion of Buddhism. It is considered as one of the oldest religions of India. Jainism in India shared with Hinduism and Buddhism. It is an integral part of South Asian religious belief and practice, but it is not a Hindu sect and not a Buddhist heresy, as earlier scholars believed.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism, closely related to Judaism, Christianity and Islam was founded by Zoroaster.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a religion started by Guru Nanak in land of Punjab in 15th century A.D.
Iyer Brahmin
Iyer Brahmins are originally from Tamil Nadu of South India. The Iyers have always taken an interest in preserving the arts and sciences.
Barai Caste
Barai Caste is the professional cultivator caste of betel leaf. Tamboli and Pansari are the terms used indifferently for Barai Caste. The diversity of names of the sub-divisions of Barai Caste discloses the mixed elements that formed the caste.
Dangi Caste
Dangi Caste is largely distributed in the high land regions, and the word Dangi is said to have originated from the geographical features of their territory. Main occupation of the members of Dangi Caste is cultivation.
Nadar Caste
One of the most renowned castes of Tamil Nadu is the Nadar caste. The Nadar community is a mixture of sub-castes and classes of different origins, which came under one banner of Nadar caste gradually.
Kumbhakar Caste
Kumbhakar is the potter caste who manufactures all kinds of earthen vessels.
Gujjars in Maharashtra
Gujjars in Maharashtra have several sub-castes. Here, in this state the Gurjars are listed as a separate caste. They are included in the Maharashtra OBC list.
Awasthi Brahmin
Awasthi is a surname or a family name of a particular sub-caste of Brahmins in the Indian continent.
Bhoyar Caste
Bhoyar Caste is largely found in the Central Provinces of the country. Traditional occupation of Bhoyars is agriculture. They are good cultivators and mostly grow sugarcane.
Gujjars in Mughal Era
Gujjars in the Mughal era enjoyed great power. Further their power increased with the decline of Aurangzeb, Mughal emperor.
Origin of Vaishnavism
Origin of Vaishnavism shares its attributes to many sources and religious evolution, dating back to pre-Vedic epoch.
Gotra in Hinduism
In Hinduism, gotra refers to a lineage system tracing descent from ancient sages, primarily through the paternal line. Originating from Vedic tradition, it plays a crucial role in identity and marriage customs. Individuals from the same gotra are considered to share a common ancestor and are traditionally prohibited from intermarrying.