Nirankar is one of the many attributes associated to God in Sikhism and means The Formless One.

Etymology

The word has its roots in the Sanskrit word nirākārā and is a compound of two words: Nir meaning "without" and Akar (or Akaar), "shape" or "form"; hence, The Formless.

Meaning and usage

The term is used as one of the names of God by Sikhs. It finds usage in the Guru Granth Sahib: "ਸਚ ਖੰਡਿ ਵਸੈ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ॥ सच खंडि वसै निरंकारु ॥ Sacẖ kẖand vasai nirankār. In the realm of Truth abides the Formless Lord."

Conjunction

The words is sometime conjoined with other terms. Some examples are below:

History

The term was first used to describe the divine by Guru Nanak. The name later would become the namesake of the Nirankari sect founded by Baba Dayal Singh.