Kāraṇa Brahman
कारणब्रह्मन्नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neutro) · कारण (kāraṇa — causa) + ब्रह्मन् (brahman)
kāraṇa brahman
Metaphysics
AI translationBrahman-cause; Brahman as substrate foundation
Kāraṇa-Brahman is Brahman as material and efficient cause of the universe — that which sustains, not that which acts. Seen this way, it is nirguṇa — unqualified foundation. Distinct from kārya-Brahman (seen as cosmic effect, saguṇa). Śaṅkara uses this distinction to explain apparently contradictory passages in the Upaniṣads: some speak of active Brahman (kārya), others of immutable Brahman (kāraṇa).
Using this in academic work? Get formal citation
Vishva Vidya (2026). Kāraṇa Brahman (कारणब्रह्मन्). Vishva Vidya — Vedanta. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/karana-brahman
Vishva Vidya. "Kāraṇa Brahman (कारणब्रह्मन्)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026, https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/karana-brahman.
Vishva Vidya. "Kāraṇa Brahman (कारणब्रह्मन्)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/karana-brahman.
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