Kumar wrote:ananta (infinite/unlimited) is a necessary condition for Ananda (bliss) but not a sufficient one.
Logically incorrect.
When am I happy ?
I am happy when I have no dearth of anything.
Even the smallest limitation/dearth makes me unhappy.
As soon as that limitation is removed ( i.e., I get/do what I want ), I am happy ( until the next limitation surfaces ).
If I do NOT have any limitation, I am automatically happy.
Anantam is BOTH necessary AND sufficient condition for Anandam.
NirguNa brahman doesn't have the guNa "Ananda", but is it not "ananta"?
I think the confusion of what 'Nirguna' is persists.
Let's take an example of "Nirakara" ( shapeless).
Is Brahman square, circular, triangular, rhododenral, conical, spherical, torus-like, Mobius-strip-like ?
This is similar to asking,- is Gold shaped like a ring, a bangle, a chain ?
Well, Gold can be of ANY shape, and hence it is essentially shapeless.
Likewise, Brahman can be of any shape, and hence it is shapeless.
If you LIMIT Brahman to any one shape, or attribute, then you are violating the logic of Limitlessness.
Attributes are limitations. If you have a flower with an attribute of yellow colour, you are limiting it by that attribute ( it CANNOT ever be red or blue or green or pink or violet etc ).
Now what if the same flower could be yellow, orange, blue, red, pink, white, green, ANY colour ?
What would you say the "colour" attribute of the flower was ?
You COULDN'T say anything. It could be of ALL the colours.
A logically terse expression would be it has NO attribute called Colour.
Likewise, if you have something that is BOTH tall and short, what is its height attribute ?
Logically, the most you can say is it has NO attribute height.
Since Brahman is the Whole ( Purnam ), NO one attribute can characterise it.
Since ALL the mutually contradictory attributes of the parts apply at the same to the whole, the Whole cannot have limitations/attributes that characterise it.
You are only refuting the constrictions on the attributive characterstics of the Purnam ( the whole ).
So, "Nirguna" simply means that there is NO LIMITATION on Brahman.
Let's now deal with "Anandam".
Let's say for the sake of simplistic argument that Brahman is (You + Me + Nintendo Wii + Everything else).
Let's say that you are x happy because you have a Nintendo Wii, and NOTHING else.
Let's also say that I am ( Infinite - x ) happy because I have EVERYTHING else, but not Nintendo Wii.
Let's assume that Nintendo Wii and Everything else has delta-A ( where delta-A --> 0 ) happiness ( to make things simple ).
What is the status of Anandam in Brahman ?
As you, Brahman has x Anandam.
As me, Brahman has (Anantam -x) Anandam.
So, in effect, Brahman has Anantam Anandam.
Let's get back to serious dissection.
Anantam is NOT an attribute/"Guna" of Existence, it is the Essence of Existence.
Any limitation/boundary on Existence is of the nature of Existence itself.
So, Existence is of the nature of Limitlessness.
I hope that clears the air.