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Nirakara means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Nirākāra means He, He has no such form, as we have got this material form.
Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

Paraḥ means transcendental, beyond this material conception. Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute, Nārāyaṇa, that is para. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is not anything of this material world. Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is not anything of this material world. When we use this word, nirākāra, that means His form is not anything of this material world. But He has got His form. That is a transcendental form. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Nirākāra means He, He has no such form, as we have got this material form. This material form is neither of the three transcendental bliss, sac-cid-ānanda. This is asat, acit, and nirānanda. This body, this material body is asat, acit, and nirānanda. Therefore, when in the Vedic literature or in authorized statement we find "nirākāra," that means His form does not belong to this asat, acit, or nirānanda. But He has His form. Divyam. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam, transcendental. And Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya also, who especially preached impersonalism, he also admits that nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, the form of Nārāyaṇa, is beyond the range of this avyakta."

Nirākāra means we cannot calculate the ākāra, the actual form.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

So similarly, we, we living entities, we are also spiritual atoms. We are spiritual atoms. And our magnitude also has assessed in the śāstras. That magnitude is stated in the Purāṇas that keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). Keśāgra, your hair. I have no long hair. You have got. Now, you can see the point of the hair, keśa-agra. Agra means the point of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya. Now, the point of the hair, you divide into hundred. That is imaginable. That is not imaginable by you, how the point of the hair can be divided into hundred. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya. Now, you take one part of that division and again divide into hundred. This is beyond your experience, beyond your power. The, by arithmetic calculation the mathematicians say that "The point has no length and breadth." Oh, this is, this is, this is a disappointment. Because he cannot measure the length and breadth of the point, therefore he says like that. But point has length and breadth. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Therefore a certain class of philosophers, they are astonished simply by seeing the great magnitude of the Lord, but there is smaller, smallest, aṇor aṇīyān. These are much smaller than the atom, but that is beyond our experience. Therefore we say, nirākāra. Nirākāra means we cannot calculate the ākāra, the actual form. Nirākāra does not mean that it has no form. It has form. Just see. That they say, that the point has no length and breadth. Similarly, the soul has everything, length and... Within that point it has got his head, leg, everything, consciousness, everything there. And because it is beyond the calculation of our human knowledge, therefore they are disappointed: "Nirākāra, nirākāra, nirākāra." Not nirākāra. It has ākāra. But we are so, our senses are so blunt that we cannot calculate.

Nirākāra means He has no prakṛta-ākāra, material form.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

Nityo nityānām, the chief of the all eternals. Cetanaś cetanānām. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities. He is also living entity. So if I am a living entity, I have got a form, so why the supreme living entity will not have a form? This is poor fund of knowledge. He is not nirākāra. But we cannot estimate His ākāra. That is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to estimate. We cannot estimate how big He is. That means nirā... Nirākāra does not mean formless. When there is in the śāstra, nirākāra, this word is used, nirākāra means He has no prakṛta-ākāra, material form. That is nirākāra, not that he has no form. That is poor fund of knowledge. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "My original form is like human being." And the Bible also it is said, "Man is made after the form of God."

When we say bhagavān nirākāra, that means either we have no knowledge of Bhagavān or nirākāra means He is not a form like us.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

There are two living beings. One is Bhagavān, and the other is the living being as we are. That is the Vedic version. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Bhagavān means He is also a living being. He is not nirākāra. When we say bhagavān nirākāra, that means either we have no knowledge of Bhagavān or nirākāra means He is not a form like us. Our form and Kṛṣṇa's form—different. Kṛṣṇa is complete spiritual, divine, and we are, at the present moment, although we have got our spiritual form within this body, but because we have no vision of the spiritual form, we are taking this body as our form. This is called illusion.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Nirākāra means "who has no form"—it does not mean that God has no form. He has got form, but His form is different from this form upon which you have got experience.
Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

So there are different types of bodies within this material world. We can compare. Just like ant's body, a fly's body, and my body. A fly's body may remain for few years, or, few hours. So our body may remain for few years. And similarly, there are other living entities like Brahmā, their body remains for a few decades. But every body, each body, is subjected to this law of nature: birth, death, disease, and old age. So God's body is not like that. It is eternal. Here in this material world we can possess a body which may exist for millions of years, but that does not mean it is eternal. It is not eternal. But God's body is eternal. Therefore, in the Vedic language, when it is said, nirākāra-nirākāra means "who has no form"—it does not mean that God has no form. He has got form, but His form is different from this form upon which you have got experience. Our experience is whatever form we can think of, even Brahma's form, that is liable to be annihilated. But God's form is not like that. So when in the Vedic language it is said, nirākāra—means nir, nir means "not," and ākāra means "form"—that means "God's form is not like ours." It is not that He has no form. He has form, but His form is different from ours.

Nirākāra means to avoid. How Supreme God can be nirākāra? If the Supreme Lord is the supreme father.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Real dharma is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. All bogus type of dharma—Hindu religion, Muslim religion, this religion, that religion—they are not dharma.

Therefore it is said here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means Supreme. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, "Wherein this is taught, 'Just surrender to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that is first-class religion." All other religions, they are bogus. That is not religion. Just like good citizenship means to abide by the laws of the state, of the government. That is good citizenship. Similarly, a real religious person means who is abiding by the orders of the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, they have no information of the Supreme Lord. Although the Lord, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, is present, still, they are thinking that Supreme Lord is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to avoid. How Supreme God can be nirākāra? If the Supreme Lord is the supreme father... We have got experience: I am a person, my father is person, his father is person, his father is person... In this way, if you go to the topmost platform to find out the Supreme Person or Supreme God, why He should be imperson?

Nirākāra means His body, ākāra, or form, is not like ours. That is to be understood. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.
Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

First Brahmā was created in the lotus flower from Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, so Brahmā is the first creature, living creature, but he also is born of Viṣṇu. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Then Brahma, Lord Śiva was born, Rudra. In this way, Viṣṇu or Viṣṇu-tattva, that is original. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrti..., ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Still, he is nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Nava-yauvanam means it begins from the sixteenth year. He looked like that, a boy of sixteen to twenty years old, and... This is only description of His transcendental body, sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is the difference between material body and spiritual body. It doesn't matter. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot think of, that material body can be so beautiful, neither they can think of, that the Supreme to possess a body... But He possesses body. The description of the body is there. But it is not like our body. Therefore nirākāra means His body, ākāra, or form, is not like ours. That is to be understood. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means body. He has got body, but not a body like ours. That is misunderstanding.

Nirākāra means He has no form, He has no eyes, no leg. If I say that God has no leg, no eyes, it is defaming. He has got the brilliant eyes. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Here is one of the eyes of Kṛṣṇa: the sun.
Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

So these nirākāra vādīs, they are..., they cannot think of that there can be any eye which can act from Vaikuṇṭha, which we cannot ascertain how far it is, still you can keep traveling. We can simply think of that "I can see three yards; therefore Kṛṣṇa can see also three yards." But the actual fact is Kṛṣṇa can see you from any distant place. Sarvata pāṇi pādas... sarvato. He has got eyes everywhere. That eyes is not exactly your eyes. Therefore it is called apāṇi acakṣur. Acakṣur means his eyes are not like your eyes. So as soon as we consider "Kṛṣṇa like me, Kṛṣṇa like me," that is natural for a foolish person. That is the first consideration. Because they cannot adjust that God can have eyes different from me, therefore they take nirviśeṣa, nirākāra. Nirākāra means He has no form, He has no eyes, no leg. If I say that God has no leg, no eyes, it is defaming. He has got the brilliant eyes. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Here is one of the eyes of Kṛṣṇa: the sun. When as soon as they declare "God has no eyes," if we take in that way that we cannot see, He has no eyes, then it is blaspheme.

That is another thing. All-pervading we also accept. He is brahmajyoti. He is spread all over the creation. That is His nirākāra. Another meaning of nirākāra, that He hasn't got His form like us—sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha—you may say that.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

So these varieties of this material world, wherefrom it came? What is the answer?

Guest (2): From God.

Prabhupāda: Then how God can be nirākāra or impersonal?

Guest (2): Nirākāra means all-pervading.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. All-pervading we also accept. He is brahmajyoti. He is spread all over the creation. That is His nirākāra. Another meaning of nirākāra, that He hasn't got His form like us—sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1)—you may say that. Or nirākāra means where the varieties are not manifested.

Nirākāra does not mean God has no akāra. That nirākāra means that not this material akāra. Iśavaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ. His body is sac-cid-ānanda. That is completely impossible to see within this material world.
Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:

Pāṣaṇḍi means devil, or nondevotee. Abhaktā hīna cara. Be careful not to mix with nondevotee who imagines about God. They do not believe in God actually. This pāṣaṇḍi means who do not believe in God. They think that there is no God, but they simply say, "Yes, there is God, but God has no head, no tail, no mouth, nothing." And then what is God then? But these rascals say nirākāra. Nirākāra means there is no God. Say frankly that there is no God. Why do you say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no head, no tail, no leg, no hand"? So what is there? So this is another cheating. Those who are atheist, they say frankly, "I do not believe in God. There is no..." That we can understand. But these rascals, they say, "There is God, but nirākāra." Nirākāra means there is no God, but sometimes the word is used nirākāra. But that nirākāra does not mean God has no akāra. That nirākāra means that not this material akāra. Iśavaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇahsac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ. His body is sac-cid-ānanda. That is completely impossible to see within this material world. Our body is not sat. It is asat. This body which I have got now or you have got, it will remain so long this life... And when it is finished, it is finished forever. You'll never get this body again. Therefore asat.

Our body is asat, acit and nirānanda, just opposite. It will not stay, and there is no knowledge, acit, and there is no bliss. Always we are unhappy. So nirākāra means not a body like this. His body is different.
Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:

Kṛṣṇa's another name is narakṛti. Our body is imitation of Kṛṣṇa's body, not that Kṛṣṇa's body is imitation of our body. No. Kṛṣṇa has got His body, narakṛti, nara-vapu. These things are there. But that vapu is not like this asat. Our body is asat. It will not stay. His body is sac-cid-ānanda. Our body is asat, acit and nirānanda, just opposite. It will not stay, and there is no knowledge, acit, and there is no bliss. Always we are unhappy. So nirākāra means not a body like this. His body is different. Ānanda cinmāyā rasa pratibhavitabhis (Bs. 5.37). Ānanda-cinmāyā. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). His aṅgāni, aṅgāni, parts of the body, are described, sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. I can see with my eyes. My, this special function of my, this part of the body is to see. But Kṛṣṇa, sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti—He can not only see, but He can eat also. That is import. By seeing, we cannot eat, but whatever we offer, if Kṛṣṇa sees, He eats also. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. So how we can compare Kṛṣṇa's body with our body? But avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Those who are rascals, they think that "Kṛṣṇa has two hands, two legs; therefore I am also Kṛṣṇa. I am also." So don't be misled by the rascals, pāṣaṇḍi. Take as there in the śāstra, learn it from authorized sources, and be happy.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Nirākāra means nirākṛta ākāra, "This ākāra, this form, is being nullified." Nirākāra does not mean there is no ākāra. This body. When it is said, nirākāra, that means the soul, the Supersoul or the soul, has no this ākāra, as we see.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

So soul has got form. It is not formless. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got also form. But that form is different from this form. When in the śāstras it is said, nirākāra, nirākāra means nirākṛta ākāra, "This ākāra, this form, is being nullified." Nirākāra does not mean there is no ākāra. This body. When it is said, nirākāra, that means the soul, the Supersoul or the soul, has no this ākāra, as we see. Just like we are seeing some dog or some cat or some hog, some tree, some plants, so many, eight million four hundred thousands of forms, but this is not the form. Nirākāreti. Not this form. The soul has got a different form. That is described. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). We cannot see, at the present moment. So as we cannot see you. I am not seeing you, you are not seeing me... Just like a man's son dies, or father dies. He cries, "Oh, my father is gone, my father is gone." Where is your father gone? Your father is lying on the floor. Why do you say the father is gone? "No, he's gone. He's no more." That means this thing which has gone, he has never seen. He has seen simply this outward body, dress. This is called ignorance. I am not seeing you; still, I am speaking that I see you. So if I cannot see you, the part and parcel of God, how can I see God with these eyes?

General Lectures

We understand nirākāra means formless. But Kṛṣṇa is not formless. Kṛṣṇa has form. That is transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.
Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

So we are... It is a fact that we are in a conditioned life. It is not absolute. And the, Kṛṣṇa, He is absolute. He is never conditioned, as we have explained that the three qualities of this material nature are emanation from Kṛṣṇa, but He is not affected by the qualities. Therefore He is called nirguṇa. Nirguṇa, nirākāra, does not mean that He has no form or He has no quality. He has no material qualities, nor He is affected by the material qualities. And ākāra... He is not nirākāra as we understand. We understand nirākāra means formless. But Kṛṣṇa is not formless. Kṛṣṇa has form. That is transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is eternal and full of bliss, transcendental bliss, and full of knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa's feature. So we have also got minute quantity of Kṛṣṇa's qualities because we are minute particles of Kṛṣṇa, but that is now covered by māyā. This māyā means... When we forget our actual relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is called māyā, false egotism.

Nirākāra means not this ākāra. We can distinguish. Because in the śāstra it is said that sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), "eternal, blissful and fully cognizant." He knows everything.
Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

The Supreme Person is always joyful, abhyāsāt, naturally. So our, this body is not ānandamaya; it is, rather, always miserable. Therefore we must distinct the body of the Supreme Person from our body. When sometimes in the Vedic literature it is explained as God has no form, that does not mean He has no form. He has a form which is different from this form. Nirākāra. Nirākāra means not this ākāra. We can distinguish. Because in the śāstra it is said that sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), "eternal, blissful and fully cognizant." He knows everything.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Nirākāra means He has no material ākāra.
Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa or to accept Kṛṣṇa as all in all. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam. But if you take it, you are fortunate.

Doctor: And the only way to attain is reciting the name.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Do that. Therefore the temple is there. Everyone may come and see Kṛṣṇa and think of Him. What is the difficulty? But he'll not come. He has concluded Kṛṣṇa is nirākāra. God is nirākāra.

Doctor: Then Kṛṣṇa will not come.

Prabhupāda: Well now, Kṛṣṇa... You... Whatever you think, that is your business, but Kṛṣṇa is there everywhere.

Doctor: He is nirākāra and sākāra.

Prabhupāda: Nirākāra means He has no material ākāra. That is nirākāra. Ākāra means we have got... Just like I have conception of you. So this ākāra is your material ākāra. It is not your real ākāra. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). The real person is within the body, but we have no connection with the real body. We see this outward... Just like seeing his dress, his... That's all.

Ask any one of them, "Do you know Bhagavān?" "Zero." "Nirākāra." Nirākāra means zero. When you come to the right point, zero. No substance. Therefore they have got this prayer, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. This is going on. Śūnyavādi and nirviśeṣa. Nirākāravādi.
Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is that real religious system? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66).

Dr. Patel: Bhāgavata-dharma.

Prabhupāda: No, this is real dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma is real, Bhagavān. Bhāgavata-dharma means in a relationship with Bhagavān. So if you do not know Bhagavān then what is this knowledge? That is the defect. All dharmas, there may be Christian dharma, Hindu dharma, this dharma, that dharma. Ask any one of them, "Do you know Bhagavān?" "Zero." "Nirākāra." Nirākāra means zero. When you come to the right point, zero. No substance. Therefore they have got this prayer, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. This is going on. Śūnyavādi and nirviśeṣa. Nirākāravādi. We say... There are so many points. We say that "the Supreme Father," the Christians say. So how the Supreme Father can be nirākāra? We have got experience, my father has ākāra. His father has got ākāra, his father has got ākāra. So if you go to the Supreme Father, now how He is nirākāra? I may not have seen my great grandfather but that does not mean he's nirākāra. So I may not have seen God but if God is Supreme Father how he can be nirākāra?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Nirākāra means He hasn't got a ākāra, a form, like ours. That is nirākāra. But He has his form.
Evening Darsana -- May 15, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: The aṅga, the different parts of the body of Kṛṣṇa, has got all the qualities of other aṅga. Just like we can see with eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can speak also with eyes. He can eat also with eyes. That is difference. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. So paśyaty acakṣuḥ means He has different type of eyes, not like our eyes. When there is nirākāra... Nirākāra means He hasn't got a ākāra, a form, like ours. That is nirākāra. But He has his form. And Kṛṣṇa says... So dehino 'smin yathā dehe: (BG 2.13) "Within this body the owner of the body is there." But if the owner of the body has no form, how the material form has come into existence? Just like this shirt has got hand. Because I am the owner of the shirt—I have got hand-therefore the shirt has got also hand. I have got my leg; therefore the pant has got leg. If you say, "The pant has got leg, the shirt has got hand, but the owner of the shirt has no leg, no...," is it possible? And this external body described as dress... Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Vāsa, dress. Dress cannot show any hand and leg unless the man who is dressed, he has got his hand and leg. So how He is nirākāra?

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Nirakara means absence of material form.
Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

When one can understand nirguna he can understand nirakara, also. This akar or form of material existence is temporary. When we get out of this temporary changes of different forms as we are transmigrating from one form to another and be placed in our real spiritual form, or purified our existence, that is called nirakara. Or in other words nirakara means absence of material form. Praiidrabya is mentioned by Dr. Naik as the counteracting agent of matter. I do not know whether this word is in Bhagavad-gita, but praii means transcendental and drabya means matter, that which exists. This praiidrabya is explained in Gita as paraprakrti or internal energy which is exhibited in the transcendental world. What interpretation I have replied Dr. Naik later. We have one difference of opinion of the scientific statement of antimatter. I have interpreted antimatter as spiritual where there is opposite matter or eternal. Matter is temporary manifestation and I interpreted antimatter as eternal manifestation or paraprakrti.

Page Title:Nirakara means
Compiler:Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas
Created:17 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=14, Con=3, Let=1
No. of Quotes:18