Category:God Is Nirguna
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category establishes the true meaning of the Vedic description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as nirguṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the word guṇa refers to the three modes of material nature (goodness, passion, and ignorance), and nir means "without" or "beyond estimation." Therefore, nirguṇa does not mean that the Absolute Truth is void, impersonal, or completely devoid of qualities, as erroneously claimed by Māyāvādī philosophers. Rather, it means that God is entirely free from material contamination. While conditioned living entities (saguṇa) are bound by material nature, the Supreme Lord operates the material energy without ever being influenced by it. He possesses unlimited, eternal, and transcendental spiritual qualities, and His senses are completely spiritual. By engaging in pure devotional service, a Vaiṣṇava devotee also transcends the material platform and attains the nirguṇa state.
- The True Meaning of Nirguṇa: The Lord is described as nirguṇa not because He lacks attributes, but because His unlimited qualities are entirely spiritual and completely free from material contamination.
- Transcending the Material Modes: While the conditioned souls are under the influence of the material modes (saguṇa), the Supreme Lord is the master of material nature and remains eternally unaffected by its qualities.
- Refuting the Impersonalist View: Māyāvādī philosophers misunderstand nirguṇa to mean an impersonal, formless Absolute Truth, but the Vedic literatures confirm that the Lord is the supreme reservoir of all good qualities.
- The Transcendental Senses: Unlike ordinary living beings whose senses are covered by material elements, the Supreme Lord possesses transcendental senses that are pure, absolute, and nirguṇa.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God Is Nirguṇa - Free From Material Qualities.
Pages in category "God Is Nirguna"
The following 24 pages are in this category, out of 24 total.
A
- All of them (karmis, jnanis and yogis) are trying to be materially perfect, but a devotee very easily comes to the platform of nirguna in devotional service, and consequently for the devotee the results of karma, jnana and yoga become very insignificant
- Apart from the material platform is the spiritual platform, where the Supreme Being enjoys Himself with His innumerable associates. On that platform there is no trace of material qualities, and therefore that platform is called nirguna
- As described in the beginning of the Vedanta-sutra, the Supreme Person is the origin of all qualities. He is generally called nirguna. Nirguna means "whose qualities are beyond estimation." Guna means "quality," and nir means "beyond estimation"
I
- In the nirguna Brahman, where there is no material contamination, or in the spiritual world, the three modes - goodness, passion and ignorance - are not present
- In the Vedas and Vedic literatures (Sruti and Smrti) it is affirmed that in the Divinity there is nothing material. He is transcendental (nirguna) only, the supreme cognizant
S
- Sagunasya brahmanah, these twenty-five elements, they cover him - that means the living entity who has come in this material world. But Kapiladeva or Krsna, Bhagavan, He is not saguna; He is always nirguna
- Such manifestations of the Lord's potencies are eternal and are called nirguna, or free from all tinges of the modes of material nature, even up to the mode of material goodness
T
- The living entities, being contaminated by the modes of material nature, are called saguna, whereas Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is nirguna, not being under the influence of the material modes
- The Lord is saguna by His own internal potency, but at the same time He is nirguna, since He is not in touch with the material energy
- The Lord's killing or annihilating of the demons is not exactly like the killing of this material world. Although He appears to act within the modes of material nature, He is nirguna, above the modes of nature
- The material energy works according to His (God's) direction; therefore He can use that energy for His purposes without ever being influenced by any of the qualities of that energy. In this sense He is nirguna, "without qualities."
- The Mayavadi philosophers take the Absolute Truth to be nirguna ("without qualities"), in accordance with the impersonalistic view, but actually the Lord is the reservoir of all good qualities
- The Supreme Lord Krsna is nirguna, which means that these gunas, or modes, although issuing from Him, do not affect Him. That is one of the special characteristics of Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. BG 1972 purports
- The Supreme Lord's senses are not so covered. His senses are transcendental and are therefore called nirguna. Guna means the material modes, but His senses are without material covering. BG 1972 purports
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is nirguna, not to be found within this material world, the entire material world is pervaded by Him, as stated in Bhagavad-gita - BG 9.4 - maya tatam idam sarvam
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, is always transcendental to material qualities, and therefore He is called nirguna, or without qualities. Because He is unborn, He does not have a material body to be subjected to attachment and hatred
- The Upanisads describe in different ways the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord. The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord, is called nirguna. That does not mean He has no qualities
- The word nirguna is important. The Mayavadi philosophers accept the Absolute Truth as nirguna or nirakara. The word nirguna refers to one who possesses no material qualities
- There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguna and nirguna-of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. BG 1972 purports
- Two words the revealed scriptures often apply to the Lord - saguna ("with qualities") and nirguna ("without qualities") - are very important