The Three Realities
Tattva-trayam (Sanskrit: तत्त्वत्रयम्) — 'the triad of realities' — is the foundational ontological framework of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. Rāmānuja systematized this teaching, drawing on the Āzhvārs and Nāthamuni, to explain the entire nature of existence through three irreducible categories:
- Chit (sentient beings / jīvātmās) — individual souls, each eternal, of the nature of consciousness, infinitely small, and belonging to the Lord as His body.
- Achit (non-sentient matter / prakṛti) — the material world in all its modifications, from gross elements to subtle mind-stuff, also eternally the Lord's body.
- Īśvara (the Lord — Śrīman Nārāyaṇa) — the Supreme Being who is the antaryāmi (inner controller), the ādhāra (support), and the śeṣī (principal) of both chit and achit.
Relationship Between the Three
The three tattvas are not equal or independent. Chit and achit exist within Īśvara — they constitute His body (śarīra) while He is their soul (śarīrī). This body-soul relationship (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva) is the unique contribution of Viśiṣṭādvaita and avoids both monism (all is one) and pluralism (all are separate).
The Grantham
Piḷḷai Lokācārya's Tattva-trayam is one of the 18 Rahasya-granthams and provides the most systematic exposition of these three realities for Śrī Vaiṣṇava initiates. Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ's commentary (Vyākhyānam) expounds this further.