Dārśana as Vision of Reality
Dārśana (Sanskrit: darś = to see) means a philosophical system — literally a "vision" of reality. Indian philosophy has six classical āstika (accepting the Vedas) dārśanas: Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Pūrva-Mīmāṃsā, and Vedānta. Within Vedānta, multiple sub-schools exist.
Rāmānuja Dārśanam designates Viśiṣṭādvaita as a complete philosophical system — not merely a devotional movement but a full epistemology, metaphysics, and soteriology.
The Complete System
Rāmānuja's dārśana covers:
Epistemology (Pramāṇa): Three sources of valid knowledge — pratyakṣa (perception), anumāna (inference), and śabda (testimony, especially the Vedas). In theology, śabda (scripture) is primary.
Metaphysics (Tattva): Reality consists of Brahman (Iśvara), cit (souls), and acit (matter) — with cit and acit constituting Brahman's body. The universe is real (not māyā); individual souls are real and permanent.
Soteriology (Mukti): Liberation through bhakti-yoga or prapatti; the liberated soul enjoys eternal beatific vision and kainkarya in Vaikuṇṭham.
Ethics (Dharma): Varṇāśrama duties performed as kainkarya; the goal of all action is the Lord's pleasure.
The Living Dārśana
Rāmānuja Dārśanam is not merely academic but a living tradition — it informs temple ritual, devotional practice, community structure, and the daily life of millions of Sri Vaishnavas worldwide.