Two aspects of God

God is experienced in two aspects – as Nirakar and Sakar.

Nirakar Nirguna is the eternal all-pervading and omnipresent divine consciousness. The Absolute without qualities, is impersonal, without Guna or attributes, Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable and eternal. This “Formless” form of God is called Sat-Chit-Ananda Rupa (Eternal-Truth-Consciousness-Bliss-Form)

Saguna Sakar is the manifestation of God in form. Qualified absolute, came from the Sanskrit Saguna (सगुण) “with qualities” and Brahman (ब्रह्मन्) “the Absolute.” The personal aspect of the Ultimate Reality. This Saguna Brahman is eternal, undecaying and non-differentiated from Nirguna Brahman.

Verses Describing God as Formless (Nirakar):-

“Na tasya pratima asti”

“There is no likeness of Him.” [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19, Yajurveda 32:3]

There is no Form of Nirguna Brahma or God as Supreme Consciousness.

“His formless form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.”

[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

His Formless Form can’t be seen. Though He manifests Himself as Sakar SagunaBrahman, no one can see Him with present eyes or material eyes. To see His Supreme and Original Form one needs spiritual perfection. “No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality, and pastimes of God through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu 1.2.234).

God says: “You cannot see me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes so that you can behold my mystic opulence” (Bhagavad-Gita 11.8)

“Shudhama papviddham”

“He is body less (Here Body means the physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organ. Brahman has unique transcendental formless spirit body which is infinite like space) & pure.” (Yajurveda 40:8)

“He (Brahman/Paramatma) does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He has a unique transcendental spiritual/spirit body which is infinite and omnipresent like space. Brahman is omnipresent soul and Soul “itself” is his spiritual body. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.”

(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.7-8)

God as Nirakar Nirguna Brahman or Supreme Consciousness is body less and pure. That doesn’t mean His Sakar Saguna form is impure, it is pure too.

Verses Describing God with Form (Sakar Saguna):-

“The Lord of the universe, Lives inside the universe, And without being born, Appears in many forms, And only the wise realize his real form” - (Rig Veda Purusha Suktam 2.3)

Although I (Supreme transcendental Brahman) am unborn, imperishable, unchangeable and God of all living entities I do incarnate (Sambhavami –cause to be born or produced) by using my Maya/Illusive energy. (Maya:- the combination of material and mental elements e.g. five elements, five internal senses, five organs of action, five external sense base also called sense objects, One vital breath, mind, intelligence ) - (Bhagavad Gita 4:6)

Meaning – Even though I am unborn I appear (unreal appearance different from original) to be born & embodied because of my Prakriti/Maya/Illusive energy of which I am the controller. I never get influenced by three modes of nature. My transcendental infinite/formless space like form never cease to existwhen I incarnate. My birth & death in personal form are just empirical realitysimilar to the mirage in desert or reflection of an object in the water.

Whenever & wherever there is a decline in Dharma/righteousness & religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend (Sruja-send myself forth/Descend/take visible form) myself (aham-I/Me, atmanam-self). (Bhagavad Gita 4:7)

Though unborn, it appears to be born in diverse ways. (Yajurveda 31.19)

The Lord takes on the manifold form. (It) transformed Himself in accordance with each form; that form of His was for the sake of making Him known. (e.g.:- just like the presence of unmanifest electric energy can be recognized by lightened bulb) (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.5.19)

"God appears in both ways as the formless Brahman and as the personal God". They are both dimensions of his personality. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1)

He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and he is the prime cause of all causes.”(Brahma Samhita 5.1)

There are two forms of Brahman, the material & the immaterial, the mortal and the immortal, the solid and the fluid, sat (being) and tya (that), (i.e. sat-tya, true). (The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1)

Therefore it can be understood now that God has two forms Nirakar Nirguna & Sakar Saguna. These two form Characteristics of God like all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, pure, infinite etc. remains the same. Just like water has three forms – liquid, solid & vapor, though it appears in different forms the core substance H2O remains the same in all forms. In the same way, the Brahman/God is one without second & has the ability to manifests in different forms at the same time anywhere on the earth & still remaining present everywhere. Its formless feature is omnipresent & infinite like space and it is able to manifest in many numbers of forms at different places at the same time without ceasing the existence of its ultimate omnipresent nature. God is Supreme Soul which itself is a Spiritual body. The God manifests in the form that means it wears or gets covered/concealed in the body made up of elements (material & mental elements) present within universe pervading that entire body. Cosmic spirit Brahman pervades entire body and combination of material & mental elements are superimposed on it within the boundary of a physical body.