 An avatar, states Justin Edwards Abbott, is a "saguna" (with form, attributes) embodiment of the "nirguna" Brahman or Atman (soul).Neither the Vedas nor the Principal Upanishads ever mention the word "avatar" as a noun.The verb roots and form, such as , appear in ancient post-Vedic Hindu texts, but as "action of descending", but not as an incarnated person (avatara).