Most saints, gurus, and swamis assert that God cannot be defined. They say it is foolish to attempt such a task. Some even laugh when asked to define God.
Why do they respond this way?
Because, as the Vedic aphorisms proclaim, God is beyond the grasp of the human mind and intellect. He cannot be fully expressed through words. God is infinite.
Achintya khalu ye bhava — “God is inconceivable.”
This is not only a sentiment of Hindu philosophy. Saints and mystics across all traditions — East and West alike — have declared defining God to be an impossible or even arrogant endeavor. The Bible and the Qur’an refrain from defining God, for both affirm that the Divine lies beyond human imagination and speculation.
In 1077, Saint Anselm of Canterbury, in his Proslogion, described God as “that than which a greater cannot be thought.”
But this leads us to a profound question:
If we cannot define God, how can we attain Him?
Doesn’t the quest for understanding require at least some definition? If so, can we — and should we — attempt to define God?
Struggle for Definition
Though God transcends definition, the human mind yearns for understanding. Since time immemorial, humanity has struggled to define the indefinable through attributes, metaphors, and qualities.
Christians define God as Pure Love.
Muslims see Him as Pure Mercy and The Almighty.
For Sufis, God is the Secret Treasure.
Tantrics regard God as Pure Power.
Scientists often imagine God as the universal natural law.
Yet these descriptions only deepen the mystery.
What is Pure Love?
How do we measure Pure Mercy?
How powerful is the Infinite?
And what do we truly mean when we say God is a mechanical force or universal law?
Thus, the problem multiplies: we must now define not only God but also His attributes.
So again — how can we define God? Is there any definition that can hold?
The Vaishnava Revelation
The Vaishnava saints — a major tradition within Hinduism devoted to Lord Vishnu — challenge the idea that God is beyond definition. They argue that if the ultimate goal of life, the Supreme Being, is so undefined and vague, then what value do the scriptures hold? If God is unknowable, why would anyone strive to attain Him?
According to the Vaishnavas, there is not one definition of God but infinite definitions. Because God is infinite, His definitions must be infinite as well.
This is a strikingly different perspective. God is inconceivable — not because He lacks definition, but because He has too many. The problem is not the absence of definition but the limit of human capacity to grasp them all.
While the human mind may struggle, the mercy of God allows enlightened beings — demigods and liberated souls — to perceive those countless definitions beyond mortal reach.
The great 13th-century philosopher Madhvacharya, in his commentary on the Rigveda (the oldest known Vedic text, dating to around 1500 BCE), explains that Humans can access five definitions of God, Demigods can comprehend eight and Liberated souls can perceive infinite definitions.
The Five Definitions of God
These five definitions encompass the range of human understanding and are seen from five unique perspectives:General Perspective, Philosophical Perspective, Power Perspective, Mercy Perspective and Sweetness Perspective
1. The General Perspective
The general definition is comprehensive and inclusive, describing God through His complete perfections.
From the Vishnu Purana (6.5.47):
aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā
Translation:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, is He who is complete in six opulences — all strength, all fame, all wealth, all knowledge, all beauty, and all renunciation.
2. The Philosophical Perspective
This perspective defines God by His nature and functions — as the foundation of existence itself.
From the Bhagavad Gita (9.18):
gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṁ suhṛt
prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam
Translation:
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am creation and annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place, and the eternal seed.
3. The Power Perspective
Here, God is viewed as the Supreme Controller — the independent cause of all causes.
From the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.1.1):
janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ
tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi
Translation (excerpt):
He is the Absolute Truth, the primeval cause of all causes of creation, sustenance, and destruction. He is fully conscious of all manifestations and completely independent. I meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who eternally resides in His transcendental abode, beyond illusion.
4. The Mercy Perspective
The mercy perspective transcends power, for it is only through divine mercy that any being can know God at all.
From the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (2.10.12):
dravyaṁ karma ca kālaś ca
svabhāvo jīva eva ca
yad-anugrahataḥ santi
na santi yad-upekṣayā
Translation:
All material elements, activities, time, nature, and living beings exist only by His mercy. When He withdraws His care, everything ceases to exist.
Mercy, therefore, is the queen of all divine qualities.
5. The Sweetness Perspective
This is the highest and most intimate understanding of God — one that includes all the others.
From the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 4.15–16):
rasika-śekhara kṛṣṇa parama-karuṇa
Translation:
He [God] is the Supreme Relisher of transcendental mellows — the most joyful and most merciful of all.
Because God is supremely sweet, He bestows mercy. Mercy flows only from a tender heart, never from cruelty or hardness.
Without sweetness, divine power would seem tyrannical. Sweetness gives meaning to power, making it lovable rather than fearful. God uses His power to protect His devotees — and His greatest power is His sweet love for them.
This is why the Philosophical Perspective speaks of the Love of God. To know divine love is to glimpse the essence of God’s being.
Conclusion: The Infinite Definitions
Thus, the real question is not “Can God be defined?” but rather —
“How many definitions of God can you comprehend?”