Mulmantra  3

Satnaam

The word Satnaam is coined from two words, sat meaning the truth and naam meaning Name. The literal meaning of it comes as true name. Guru Nanak has attributed God with Sat because He is eternal Truth as he was there, He is there and He will always be there. He has no beginning and no end and He is not subject to change. He will ever be alike and when there is no end to Him the life will always be there. This truth of God was revealed to Guru Nanak. So according to Guru’s understanding of God, the God is an eternal Being and the word Sat or Truth is attributed to Him. The other attribute in this coined word is Naam or Name. In Guru Nanak’s doctrine Naam is synonym with word or shabad and it becomes a divine word that is an object for meditation as is suggested in Japuji Sahib. Constant recitation is the tool to get attached to the Lord so that He is pleased and then unites man with Himself. The contemplation of divine Name in itself is realization of His Being and that leads to the union with the Lord. The Name of God and names of God are two distinct features in Guru’s doctrine. The Name is the total expression of God in His manifest form or unmanifest form. It is the total expression of His Light or being that is immanent in His own creation. His names are the expressions used by His created creatures to address Him or to meditate in His Name. His creatures use His names like Ishwar, Bhagwan, Gopal, Gosain, Gobind, Rahim, Allah, Khuda and so on. Even in Guru Granth Sahib all such names are used to address Him.

These are names used by His creatures to address Him and are not to be confused with His True distinct identity as the only Infinite, Timeless, Unborn, Eternal Being whose Will or Hukam prevails over everything He has created. At the time of creation of this world that contains man as one of His creation, God has placed part of His light in man. Meditating on this Name is recommended in Gurmat to kindle the inner light of man so that it becomes able to mingle with the supreme Light of the Lord.