Within the framework of Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, the concept of divine grace occupies a central and indispensable role in the soul’s journey toward liberation, or moksha. While devotion (bhakti) and self-surrender (prapatti) are emphasized as vital disciplines, they are ultimately insufficient in isolation; it is only through the compassionate grace of God that true liberation becomes possible. This grace is not merely a reward for spiritual effort, but rather the supreme, causeless force that transcends the limitations of karma and merit, arising from the boundless compassion of the Divine.

Ramanuja teaches that even the capacity to engage in devotion and surrender is itself a manifestation of divine grace. The soul, enmeshed in ignorance and bound by the cycles of birth and death, cannot by its own efforts surmount the obstacles that obscure its true nature. It is grace that removes these obstacles, dispels ignorance, and enables the direct realization of Brahman. In this sense, grace acts as the decisive catalyst, transforming the aspirant’s devotion and surrender into the lived experience of liberation.

The relationship between human effort and divine grace is thus both intimate and asymmetrical. While the devotee’s bhakti and prapatti are essential as expressions of receptivity and surrender, they do not compel or earn grace in a transactional sense. Rather, these acts create the proper disposition for the soul to receive grace, which flows freely and unconditionally from the Divine. Scriptural passages, such as those in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, reinforce this vision by emphasizing that it is the Divine who ultimately chooses and bestows realization upon the seeker.

In this light, Ramanuja’s vision transforms the spiritual path from a purely philosophical or ritualistic pursuit into a dynamic, living relationship with a compassionate and personal God. The journey toward liberation is not a solitary ascent, but a process that depends fundamentally on the mercy and initiative of the Divine, who responds to the soul’s sincere surrender and devotion with the gift of grace.