Satnam

Satnam (Gurmukhi:ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ) is the main word that appears in the Sikh sacred scripture called the Guru Granth Sahib. It is part of the Gurbani shabad called Mool Mantra which is repeated daily by all Sikhs. This word succeeds the word "Ek-onkar" which means "There is only one constant" or commonly "There is one God". The words sat means "true/everlasting" and nam means "name".^[1] In this instance, this would mean, "whose name is truth".^[2]

The word nam in Sikhism has two meanings. "It meant both an application and a symbol of the All-pervading Supreme Reality that sustained the universe. Guru Nanak in his teachings emphasized the need of repeating Sat-Nam to realize the All-pervading Supreme Reality." ^[3]

References

1. Kaur Rait, Satwant (31 Jan 2005). "Chapter 2". Sikh Women in England: Religious,Social and Cultural Beliefs [Paperback]. Trentham Books Ltd; illustrated edition. p. 20. ISBN 1-85856-353-4. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
2. Nijhawan, Michael; Mandair, Arvind (20 Feb 2009). "2 The Politics of Non-duality: Unraveling the Hermeneutics of Modern Sikh Theology". Shared idioms, sacred symbols, and the articulation of identities in South Asia. Routledge; 1st edition. p. 66. ISBN 0-415-95828-8. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
3. Singh Dhillon, Dalbir (1988). "3 Evolution of Institutions and Ethical Doctrines". Sikhism Origin and Development. Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. p. 226. Retrieved 12 November 2010.