Within the Vishishtadvaita tradition, the scriptural foundation is anchored in what is often called the threefold canon of Vedanta: the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras. These are regarded as the primary sources through which the nature of Brahman, the individual soul, and the world are understood. The Upanishads provide the fundamental philosophical insights, the Bhagavad Gita offers a synthetic vision of devotion, knowledge, and action, and the Brahma Sutras present a systematic arrangement of Vedantic thought. Taken together, they form the bedrock upon which the qualified non-dual vision of reality is articulated.

What gives Vishishtadvaita its distinctive shape, however, is the way these foundational texts are interpreted by Ramanuja and the lineage that follows him. His Sri Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras is regarded as the central theological work of the school, presenting a detailed exposition of qualified non-dualism. Alongside it stand his Gita Bhashya, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, and the Vedartha Sangraha, an independent treatise that gathers and organizes the teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads in a manner consistent with Vishishtadvaita. These works do not replace the original scriptures but serve as authoritative lenses through which they are read.

The scriptural universe of Vishishtadvaita is further enriched by texts that embody its devotional and ritual life. The Divya Prabandham, a collection of 4,000 Tamil hymns composed by the Alvar saints, is revered as a kind of Tamil Veda and is central to the lived spirituality of the tradition. Closely related are the Pancharatra Agamas, which provide the theological and ritual framework for the worship of Vishnu–Narayana, and are treated as authoritative in matters of temple practice and liturgy. Vaishnava Puranas, such as the Vishnu Purana, also function as important devotional and narrative supports for the same vision of the Supreme.

Over time, subsequent acharyas in the Vishishtadvaita lineage have composed further commentarial and doctrinal works that deepen and clarify the implications of this scriptural corpus. Among these are texts that elaborate on core doctrinal themes and the so‑called “three secrets” of the tradition, thereby systematizing the path of devotion and surrender. All of these writings, however, remain rooted in and subordinate to the primary revelation of the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutras, as interpreted through Ramanuja’s seminal works and illumined by the hymns of the Alvars and the Agamic literature.