Parātva-Virodhi — Obstacles from Errors about Bhagavān's Supremacy
Parātva-virodhi ('obstacle from the [matter of] the Supreme's supremacy') addresses a different dimension of the obstacle structure than svarūpa-virodhi: it concerns the devotee's understanding of Bhagavān rather than of the self. If svarūpa-virodhi is misknowing who I am, parātva-virodhi is misknowing who He is.
The parātva (supremacy, the quality of being para — highest) of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa is foundational to Viśiṣṭādvaita. He alone is sarvāntaryāmin (the inner controller of all), sarveśvara (Lord of all), mokṣaprada (the sole giver of liberation), without a second, without an equal. Other divine beings — Brahmā, Rudra, Indra, and even great sages — are all baddha or jīvabhūta (bound souls or souls in the cosmic administration) who are themselves dependent on Bhagavān. They are devatāntaras — other deities — but not sources of mokṣa and not independent of Bhagavān's governance.
Parātva-virodhi arises when this clear understanding is compromised:
- Sāmya-buddhi — regarding other deities as equal to Bhagavān
- Miśra-upāsana — worshipping Bhagavān and other deities in the same mode, as if they were equivalent
- Devatāntara-upāsana — turning to other deities for liberation, material benefits, or spiritual advancement as if they were independent sources
- Bheda-darśana — seeing Bhagavān as 'one among many' cosmic powers rather than the singular sovereign
The Āzhvārs — particularly Toṇṭaraṭippoṭi Āzhvār in Tirumālai and Tiruvaraṅgattamutanār in the Rāmānuja Nūṟṟantādi — forcefully addressed this virodhi, celebrating Śrīman Nārāyaṇa's unrivalled supremacy and the futility of turning to any other deity for liberation. Rāmānuja's Śaraṇāgati Gadya and Vaikuṇṭha Gadya similarly emphasize that Nārāyaṇa alone is the refuge, protector, and giver of liberation.