Nirguṇa Brahman
निर्गुण ब्रह्मन्नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neutro) · निर् उपसर्ग (nir — sem) + गुण (guṇa — atributo) + ब्रह्मन्
nirguṇa brahman
Metaphysics
AI translationBrahman without conditioning attributes
Nirguṇa-Brahman is Brahman in its own nature — without qualities, without relations, without cosmic functions. 'Nir-guṇa' does not mean empty; it means free from the limitations imposed by attributing qualities (which are always relative). It is the final (mukhya) teaching of Upaniṣads like 'neti-neti'. Distinct from saguṇa-Brahman (Brahman seen through upādhis — such as Īśvara, with attributes of omniscience, etc.). In reality only one Brahman exists; the distinction nirguṇa/saguṇa is pedagogical.
Occurrence in the corpus
॥ १२ ॥ 【भाष्यम्】 एवंभूतमपि परमेश्वरं नित्यशुद्धबुद्धमुक्तस्वभावं सर्वभूतात्मानं निर्गुणं संसारदोषबीजप्रदाहकारणं मां नाभिजानाति जगत् इति अनुक्रोशं दर्शयति भगवान् तच्च किंनिमित्तं जगतः अज्ञानमि त्युच्यते त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम्
|| 12 || 【bhāṣyam】 evaṃbhūtamapi parameśvaraṃ nityaśuddhabuddhamuktasvabhāvaṃ sarvabhūtātmānaṃ nirguṇaṃ saṃsāradoṣabījapradāhakāraṇaṃ māṃ nābhijānāti jagat iti anukrośaṃ darśayati bhagavān tacca kiṃnimittaṃ jagataḥ ajñānami tyucyate tribhirguṇamayairbhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṃ jagat mohitaṃ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam
— Bhagavad Gītā Bhāṣya →Using this in academic work? Get formal citation
Vishva Vidya (2026). Nirguṇa Brahman (निर्गुण ब्रह्मन्). Vishva Vidya — Vedanta. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/nirguna-brahman
Vishva Vidya. "Nirguṇa Brahman (निर्गुण ब्रह्मन्)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026, https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/nirguna-brahman.
Vishva Vidya. "Nirguṇa Brahman (निर्गुण ब्रह्मन्)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/nirguna-brahman.
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