Nirgun and Sargun
| Part of a series on |
| Sikhism |
|---|
 |
Nirgun and Sargun is terminology used within Sikhism to refer to the ineffable (nirgun) and the manifest (sargun) nature of God.[1] There is no dichotomy in the nirgun and sargun nature of God,[2] as there only One (Ik Onkar).[3][4]
"He Himself is formless, and also formed; the One Lord is without attributes, and also with attributes."
— SGGS. Ang 250
In the Guru Granth Sahib
[edit]| Part of a series on the |
| Gurū Granth Sahib ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ |
|---|
_beautifully_decorated_with_gold_and_floral_arabesques_01.jpg) |
| Popular compositions |
| Other compositions |
| Various aspects |
| Poetical metres, modes, measures, and rhythms |
| Internal classifications |
Before creation, God existed all alone as Nirgun in a state of Sunn Samadhi, deep meditation, as says Guru Nanak.[5]
"There was darkness for countless years.
There was neither earth nor sky; there was only Its Will.
There was neither day nor night, neither sun nor moon.
They (God) were in deep meditation.
There was nothing except Itself."
— SGGS. Ang 1035
Then God willed, created the universe, and diffused into nature as Sargun.[citation needed]
In Indian philosophy
[edit]The Sikh view of the dual nature of Absolute God runs parallel to Shankara's Vedic (Saguna and Nirguna) Brahman conception, as well as the tradition of Indian philosophy in general.[6]
Within Hinduism, they are adjectives, indicating Brahman and its transcendence of all qualities, properties, and predicates (nirguna), or Brahman as possessing qualities (saguna).[7][8][9] Advaita sees Nirguna Brahman as the ultimate reality.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Pemberton, Kelly; Nijhawan, Michael (2009-01-13). Shared Idioms, Sacred Symbols, and the Articulation of Identities in South Asia. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-90476-0.
- ↑ Current Thoughts on Sikhism. Institute of Sikh Studies. 1996. p. 253. ISBN 978-81-85815-01-5.
- ↑ Singha, Surindara Pala (2004). Inner Dynamics of Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak Dev University. p. 140. ISBN 978-81-7770-115-9.
- ↑ "Ang 250 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji - SikhiToTheMax". www.sikhitothemax.org. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ↑ Munde, Amarpreet Singh. "Introduction to Sikhism - Section II: God and His Universe". www.gurmat.info. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
- ↑ Singh, Mohinder (1988). History and Culture of Panjab. Atlantic Publishers & Distri.
- ↑ Johnson, William John, ed. (2009). "saguṇa". A dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford reference online premium (1st ed.). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-19-172670-5.
- ↑ Johnson, William John, ed. (2009). "nirguṇa". A dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford reference online premium (1 ed.). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-19-172670-5.
- ↑ Rambachan, Anantanand (2001-01-01). "Heirarchies [sic] in the Nature of God? Questioning The "Saguna-Nirguna" Distinction in Advaita Vedanta". Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies. 14 (1). doi:10.7825/2164-6279.1250. ISSN 2164-6279.
- ↑ Saha, Niranjan (2019). "Saguṇa and Nirguṇa-Bhakti, Advaita Vedānta, and Madhusūdana Sarasvat". Journal of Vaishnava Studies. 28 (1): 73–82.
