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Nirguna Brahman |
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Dharma · Artha · Moksha · Karma · Samsara |
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Vedas |
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Related topics
Hinduism by country |
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Nirguna Brahman, (literally, the attributeless Brahman, Devanagari: निर्गुण ब्रह्म) refers to Supreme Reality which pervades through the Universe. Brahman is considered without any form in Advaita and without material form in Dvaita schools of philosophy.
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Advaita Vedanta philosophy says that for human eyes Nirguna Brahman is viewed as Saguna Brahman, or Brahman with personal attributes, and is commonly worshipped as Vishnu, Shiva or Devi by Hindus. While this is a beginners' stage, the Nirguna aspect of the Absolute is realized by Yogis or Jnanis, when they transcend the personal consciousness, which gives the false idea of individuality.
The Hindu saint, Ramakrishna analogized God with form and without form as being like ice and liquid water, as being both the same but in different states.1
Various schools of Vaishnavism, however, understand both the impersonal Nirguna Brahman and Jivas as conditioned by gunas. Saguna Brahman possesses infinite attributes, is free from all conditioning, and is the source of the impersonal Nirguna Brahman, as clearly stated in the Bhagavad Gita. Ramanuja, Madhva, Caitanya, and all other Vaishnava acharyas differ strongly with Adi Shankara's doctrine of Saguna Brahman (as Brahman with limited attributes, upadhi) and his two levels of reality (vyavaharic and paramarthic) since they point out that his views lack support of Vedanta Sutra.
In Sikhism, God is described as both Nirguna (transcendent) and Saguna (immanent).
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