the Universal Self is unchanging and eternal. Brahman having the subtle (sūkṣma) chit and achit entities as his Śarīra/Prakāra(body/mode) before manifestation is the same Brahman having the expanded (sthūla) chit and achit entities as Śarīra/Prakāra(body/mode) after manifestation. The essential feature is that the underlying entity is the same, the changes are in the description of that entity. For e.g. Jack was a baby. Jack was a small kid. Jack was a middle-aged person. Jack was an old man. Jack is dead The body of a single personality named Jack is described as continuously changing. Jack does not become "James" because of the change. Ethics Souls and Matter are only the body of God. Creation is a real act of God. It is the expansion of intelligence. Matter is fundamentally real and undergoes real revelation. The Soul is a higher mode than Matter, because it is conscious. It is also eternally real and eternally distinct. Final release, that comes, by the Lord's Grace, after the death of the body is a Communion with God. This philosophy believes in liberation through one's Karmas (actions) in accordance with the Vedas, the Varna (caste or class) system and the four Ashramas (stages of life), along with intense devotion to Vishnu. Individual Souls retain their separate identities even after moksha. They live in Fellowship with God either serving Him or meditating on Him. The philosophy of this school is SriVaishnavism, a branch of Vaishnavism. Interpretation of Mahāvākyas 1. sarvam khalv idam brahma from Chandogya Upanishad 3.14.1 Translated literally, this means All this is Brahman. The ontology of Vishishtadvaita system consists of: a. Ishvara is Para-brahman with infinite superlative qualities, whose substantive nature imparts the existence to the modes b. Jivas are chit-brahman or sentient beings (which possess consciousness). They are the modes of Brahman which show consciousness. c. Jagat is achit-brahman or matter/Universe (which are non-conscious). They are the mode of Brahman which are not conscious. Brahman is the composite whole of the triad consisting of Ishvara along with his modes i.e. Jivas and Jagat. 2. ayam ātmā brahma from Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 Translated literally, this means the Self is Brahman. From the earlier statement, it follows that on account of everything being Brahman, the self is not different from Brahman. 3. Tat tvam asi from Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 Translated literally, it means Thou art that that here refers to Brahman and thou refers to