Infinite Auspicious Attributes
Vishishtadvaita theology holds that Brahman — Śrīman Nārāyaṇa — is the locus of infinite (ananta), auspicious (kalyāṇa) qualities (guṇa). Unlike the nirguṇa Brahman of Advaita, Vishishtadvaita affirms that Brahman's essential nature (svarūpa) is inseparable from these qualities; they are not additions but constitutive of what Brahman is.
The Six Primary Qualities
The Pañcarātra tradition and Rāmānuja identify six primary qualities (ṣaḍguṇa): jñāna (omniscience), bala (infinite power), aiśvarya (sovereign lordship), śakti (creative potency), vīrya (immutable energy), and tejas (resplendent glory). These pervade all of Brahman's activities. But these six are only the most prominent — the actual number is limitless.
Scriptural Basis
The Upaniṣads declare Brahman to be the home of all greatness: satyam jñānam anantam brahma (Taittirīya). The Viṣṇu Purāṇa elaborates extensively on these qualities. Rāmānuja in Śrī Bhāṣyam argues that truly infinite qualities can belong only to a truly infinite being — finite beings can at most possess finite qualities.
Āzhvār Celebration
For Sri Vaishnavas, the anantakalyāṇaguṇas are a source of unending meditative joy. Nammāzhvār's Tiruvāymozhi is in large part a passionate enumeration and celebration of these qualities. The divine form (divyamaṅgalavigraha) visible in the archa-avatāra is itself a revelation of these attributes made tangible.