Brahman

• Brahman


  The Hindu name for God or Supreme Being
• Brahman


  • Limitless, universal soul or consciousness, beyond human understanding, and the source of all life
• Mundaka Upanishad 2.2: 'In truth Brahman is all.'
• Isa Upanishad 1.5: 'He moves, and he moves not. He is far, and he is near. He is within all, and he is outside all.'
• Kena Upanishad 1.4-8: 'What cannot be spoken with words, but that whereby words are spoken: Know that alone to be Brahman [...] What cannot be thought with the mind, but that whereby the mind can think: Know that alone to be Brahman [...] What cannot be seen with the eye, but that whereby the eye can see: Know that alone to be Brahman [...] What cannot be heard with the ear, but that whereby the ear can hear: Know that alone to be Brahman [...] What cannot be indrawn with breath, but that whereby breath is indrawn: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore.'
• nirguna Brahman


  God the Supreme Being as spiritual presence only
• saguna Brahman


  God the Supreme Being shown in form
• bhagavan


  The Supreme Being existing in the world of spirits and deities
• Om or Aum


  The sound and symbol of Brahman
• The idea that God is 'divine consciousness', with no form or shape, is called nirguna Brahman.
• As it is difficult to understand or explain nirguna Brahman, representations such as the Om or Aum symbol are used.
• The idea that God has form and can be pictured is called saguna Brahman.
• The different images of Hindu gods give form and personality to the Supreme Being, and most Hindus refer to the Supreme Being as bhagavan.
• Hindu scholars debate which idea about Brahman-nirguna or saguna-is more important.
• The Om or Aum (pronounced like 'home' without the 'h') shown here is the main symbol of the Supreme Being for Hindus. It is considered to be the first sound at the start of all creation and represents Brahman.