primary and natural meaning. And He who possesses such greatness, is alone the Lord of all. Hence the word Brahman is primarily used to signify Him alone. In cases where, on account of the association of a modicum of that quality, other things than the Lord are meant by the word Brahman, it must have been used in a secondary sense; because it is improper to postulate a variety of meanings for it, as it is improper in the case also of the word, Bhagavat. He is the Supreme Self known as Narayana whose abode is Sri Vaikuntha and whose consort is Sri or Maha Laksmi.
The Brahmasutras consist of four Adhyayas (chapters) and each of the four chapters consists of four Padas (parts). The first chapter is called the Samanvayadhyaya and it determines that the Brahman is the cause of creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe. The second chapter is called the Avirodhadhyaya and it removes any inconsistency that may arise for such determination. It establishes firmly what the first chapter has done. The third chapter is called Sadhanadhyaya and it mentions the means for attaining the Brahman. The last chapter is called Phaladhyaya and it treats of the results obtained from that means. In the scheme of things, the first two chapters are quite distinct from the last two chapters.
The Vedantasutra begins with this benedictory verse:
'I bow unto Visnu who has for his body all the sentient and the nonsentient beings, who is the Self of all objects, who is associated with the Goddess Sri; who is the Ocean of Bliss untainted with impurity'.
By this we learn that the Supreme Being according to Sri Ramanuja is Visnu who has for his body all the sentient and the non-sentient beings. It is also clear that the sentient beings, the non-sentient things and the Lord are distinct from
