Niranjan
{{short description|Sanskrit term in Hindu religious scripture}}
Niranjana ({{Langx|sa|निरंजन|translit=niranjana}}), also rendered Niranjan, is an epithet in Hinduism.{{cite book|title=Bhakti in Kabåir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=46ljAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Associated Book Agency|year=1981|author=William J. Dwyer|page=111}} It is a title of Krishna according to the Bhagavad Gita,{{cite book|title=Bhakti in Kabåir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=46ljAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Associated Book Agency|year=1981|author=William J. Dwyer|page=111}}{{cite book|title=With the three masters: being extracts from the private diary of Rai Sahib Munshi Ram, M.A., P.C.S., secretary to the three masters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWM9AAAAIAAJ|page=52|year=1967|publisher=Radhasoami Satsang|author=Munshi Ram}} and is also an epithet of Shiva.
Etymology
Niranjan in Sanskrit means the one without blemishes or the one who is spotless and pure.{{cite book|title=Indian Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z2hjAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Sähitya Akademi|year=1976|page=45}} nir means less (as in e.g. motionless) and anjana means black colouring matter.{{cite book|title=Vedic Cult: Applied Science to Human Health, Happiness, and Longevity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dgEYAAAAIAAJ|author=Vidya Prasad Pandey|publisher=Bhaskar Publications|year=1987|page=173}}
Description
- Niranjan means the lord of the three worlds, the physical, the astral and the causal and according to the Bhagavad Gita.{{cite book|title=With the three masters: being extracts from the private diary of Rai Sahib Munshi Ram, M.A., P.C.S., secretary to the three masters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWM9AAAAIAAJ|page=52|year=1967|publisher=Radhasoami Satsang|author=Munshi Ram}}
- The saint Kabir described God as Niranjan. Niranjan means is translated as without collyrium, or the spotless or immaculate God, and it is used to address Rama.{{cite book|title=Indian Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z2hjAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Sähitya Akademi|year=1976|page=45}}{{cite book|title=Religious Movements and Institutions in Medieval India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MSkvAAAAYAAJ|page=395|author=J. S. Grewal|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2006}}
- It is also 52nd name of the 108 names of Krishna as it appears in the Sri Krishna Ashtottara Shatanama Stotra.{{cite book|title=Kuramī cetanā ke sau varsha: rāshṭrīya pariprekshya meṃ, 1894-1994|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0DgcAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Gītāñjali Prakāśana|author=Dilāvara Siṃha Jayasavāra|year=1994|page=506|quote=श्री कृष्ण द्वारा परमब्रह्म के अर्थ में निरंजन को कहा गया है}}
- In Dvadasha stotra, composed by Jagadguru Madhvacharya, the word Niranjan is explained as one the quality of Krishna.[http://www.dvaita.org/madhva/dvaadasha.html Dvaadasha Stotra]