The Source Book On Sikhism

Chapter Seventeen

“Mool Mantra”: An Exegetical Analysis

Dr. Dharam Singh

Panjabi University

Patiala, Punjab, India

The “Mool Mantra”, generally read as a preamble to Guru Nanak’s Japu (ji), is the creedal formula which delineates, in brief, the Sikh conception of ultimate reality. That this brief composition of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, occupies a central place in the Sikh metaphysical thought is evident from the fact that Guru Arjan, the fifth in succession in the line of ten spiritual preceptors in Sikhism, while compiling the Sikh scripture (Guru Granth Sahib), placed it at the head of the Holy volume. It has generally been accepted as the fount of the entire ontological superstructure of Sikhism.

Sikhism takes the existence of God to be obviously apparent, and that is why there has been no attempt whatsoever by the Gurus to prove His existence although there are numerous reference in the Guru Granth Sahib to various aspects of the Real One. In the Bein episode (‘Bein Pravesh’ in the Janam-sakhi literature) which launched Guru Nanak on his spiritual mission, the Guru's 'encounter' with Nirankar (the Formless Lord) is the central theme. The episode vividly presents Guru Nanak's vision of God as a formless, transcendent Being. It is also at this time that Guru Nanak received his revelation direct from God and it was to preach this revelation that he set out on his preaching odysseys.

The text of the ‘Mool Mantra’ does not read as a unified sentence, rather it comprises several words, each stressing one or the other aspect of God. Although each word addresses itself to bring out an aspect of the Divine Being yet it is not to be seen in complete isolation from the others. Taken together they sum up the essence of Sikh ontological and social thought.

In the following pages, we shall take up each individual word/term in the 'Mool Mantra' for a detailed analysis. although emphasis throughout has been on the ontological overview, the distinctness of certain features of Sikh ideology has also been referred to wherever needed.

IKOANKAR. The Mool Mantra begins with the term ikoankar which in itself is the combination of three words, i.e. ik, oan or om and kar. The word oan or om has been used for God in the ancient Indian religious literature as well. It has the same connotation in Sikh canon also. However, Guru Nanak prefixed ik to it: ik in fact is not a word but a numeral. The meaning or connotation of a word might change in a changed cultural or historical context, but the meaning of a numeral is ever fixed. Thus, the prefix has been added to stress the unitary character of Reality. The prefix is also unique for another reason: number or ratio thereof is considered the essence of all knowledge in Western thought whereas word is the essence in Indian thought. We find here a unique number-word combination in Sikhism. There has also been suffix kar which stands for its creative aspect. God of Guru Nanak’s conception was not sat cit anand of Sankara’s conception but a dynamic reality.

SATINAMU. The term ikoankar is followed by satinamu which again is a combination of two words - sati and namu. Sati (skt. satye, derived from the root asi which means; to beí) stands for pure Existence. The sloka or couplet following the Mul Mantra is an exegesis of the word sati as the latter has been of the numeral ik in the preceding term ikoankar. Rendered in free English, the sloka would read: the ultimate reality was true in the beginning: it was ever true and will always be true. In other words, we can say that the word sati has a metaphysical connotation, and it confirms the unity of reality. As pure Existence, it also stands for that essence of Reality which is eternal and which is manifest in the entire created phenomena.

The word sati has been preferred to the word namu which is indicative of the subtle, dynamic energy. Guru Nanak first utters ikoankar and then sati which means that the true Reality is the same which is connotated by ikoankar. After sati, the Guru utters namu: it means that as the Real One is true, similarly His name is also true. A little ahead in the Japu(ji), Guru Nanak clarifies the meaning as he says:

Lord is true: His name is true.

The name of matter, places, things, beings, etc. in this manifest material world recalled prinami because they are not eternal, intransient. They are called mithia or maya because of their ephemeral nature. On the contrary, the ultimate reality is beyond change and death: He is true. That is why His name is also true. Eulogizing God, remembering Him, reciting kirtan and offering ardas are the associates of Divine Name. They do no let the name remain only a medium for God-realization but transform it into a living love. Both the medium and the devotee become alive:

He becomes alive

In whose heart resides the True Lord.

KARTA-PURAKH. The creative aspect of God, referred to in the suffix kar to oan (ikoankar), has been stressed here. God is called the creator (karta) of the entire manifest phenomena, but He has also been called Purakh because as creator He is immanent in His creation. He is one (ik) as well as many (anek hain phiri ek bain). The multiplicity of creation does not affect His unity, rather it is the corollary of His dynamic nature. As one, He is unmanifest, transcendent and formless; and as many, He is manifest and immanent in His varied creation. It is also on this count that God in Sikh ontological thought is called both manifest and unmanifest, transcendent and immanent, pirgun and sagun, nirankar (formless) and sarabrup (all-forms). These attributive characteristics of the Real One also establish His essential unity with the created phenomena and also provide relative reality to the latter. The spiritual oneness of mankind with Karta-Purakh provides basis to the Sikh social thought of ethnic equality and social equity of mankind.

NIRBHAU. Another attributive name given by Guru Nanak to God is nirbhau (fearless). God being the sole creator of the manifest phenomena is naturally more powerful than His creation, singly or wholly. Elsewhere in the scripture, He has also been called omniscient under whose will goes on everything in the material world. Nothing ever happens outside His will. Everything emanates from Him, functions under His will and is finally reabsorbed in Him at His will. Therefore, He can have no fear of any of such manifestations. There is none who is His co-equal or co-eternal (nirsarik). His all-powerful nature vis-à-vis the created beings makes Him fearless.

NIRVAIR. God is not only fearless but also rancourless. He is not unfavourably disposed towards anybody. Since all are His children, none is alien to Him. He bears rancour or ill-will towards none of His creations as He Himself is manifested qua spirit in the created beings. He is protector of the weak and patron of the hapless. Such a conception of personal God who has fear or enmity towards none is quite different from the anthropomorphic or polytheistic tribal gods of earlier Indian tradition. There have been many myths portraying them as engrossed in mutual enmity and in fear of some other god(s) or trying to hold others in fear. Guru Nanak’s God is above these sectarian or tribal considerations. He belongs to the entire creation immanent in each being and feeling for all of them.

AKAL-MURAT. The word akal in the compound means eternal, everlasting and beyond time, and murati stands for being or embodiment. Another synonym used in the Guru Granth Sahib is Akal Murati. Apparently the term akal-murati might seem conceited as God is eternal no doubt, be He is formless as well; He is never embodied, and all embodiment implies mortality. However, in the Sikh conception of God the term has complete inner harmony. It conveys both the impersonal and personal, transcendent and immanent aspects of Him.

A word here on the word kal. Although the word kal literally means death, it is not here identical with the mythological god of death, Yama. Here it stands for time which remained dormant until He decided on self-manifestation. Until then it was latent in God and thereafter became explicit. Although He Himself remains beyond these manifest forms have been Divine emanations and their sense being Divine does not get obliterated. It simply changes form, otherwise transcending the limitations of time. Thus akal which used as an attributive of personal God indicates His transcendent nature. In His unmanifest, impersonal aspect, He transcends kal, but His manifestations are immanent in kal.

AJUNI-SAIBHANG. These two terms used as attributes for God are somewhat allied, affirming the non-dual and eternal nature of God. He is ajuni (unborn or unincarnate). He is never born in human or any other form. He is free from the cycle of transmigration. This outrightly rejects the doctrine of Divine incarnation. All incarnations, gods and goddesses as mentioned in Hindu myths and legends are declared to be emanations from God and thus, subservient to Him. None of these can be equated or identified with Him. Another aspect of this postulate is saibhan (self-created or self-effulgent). God created the entire manifest world, but He Himself is not created by any outside agency or power. He is self-existent and self-effulgent. He existed when in the beginning there was complete chaos and darkness and nothing existed, not even the gods, sun, earth, sea or water. Everything else has His joti (spirit) manifested in it but no other, outside spirit manifests in Him. He depends on no outside source for His existence. Just as every other being has a mother and a father, He has no parents, no brother or sister (pirsak). He is saibhang. This, again, rejects the Hindu belief in Divine manifestation.

GURPRASAD. This is the last word in the Mul Mantra, and is less an attributive name of God and more a means of realizing Him. The word prasad means grace, but the Sikh concept of grace is obviously different from the Christian concept of grace. In the latter sense, the Divine grace is bestowed upon a human as a divine prerogative whereas in the Sikh, a metaphysical person has to earn it through good and righteous deeds. The word gur (guru) here does not stand for any personal guru, but for the Adi Guru or the primal Lord. It can also be given the name of Sabds-brahmen or “the Divine Word”.

The above discussion on the ‘Mool Mantra’ leads to the conclusion that God of the Sikh conception is non-dual and dynamic in nature. He is one, with no rival or relation to equal Him. He is dynamic and creates everything and every being. He creates from out of His own being, and not from any extraneous material. However, He creates of His own will, and not under any duress. He is fearless and rancourless. Although He is creator of all, yet He Himself is self-existent and unincarnated. All the manifest forms which are in essence one with Him are evanescent but He Himself transcends kal. Thus, we find God transcendent and unmanifest (nirguna, nirankar) as well as immanent and manifest (sagun). However, there is absolutely no difference between these two aspects of God. All the attributes assigned to God in His manifest form are latent in Him in His unmanifest form. The same impersonal, unmanifest God can be perceived by man with a higher degree of consciousness in all the manifest forms of the material world.

“Words do not the saint or sinner make,

Action alone is written in the book of fate.” (Japji 20)

“The man of Present-salvation is one

Who loves God’s will with his heart and soul

He meets joy and sorrow with an equal mind.

He is every happy; no pain of separation for him!

To him the coveted gold is no more than dust,

And the promised nectar is no sweeter than the bitter cup of poison.

He is indifferent to honour and dishonour.

And makes no distinction between a prince and a pauper.

For him whatever comes from God is most reasonable;

Such a man may be said to have attained importantly while yet a mortal.” (Sukhmani 1X.7)

I come to take refuge with the Lord;

May the Divine Guru out of his Mercy

grant that passions of lust, anger, greed,

pride and undue attachment in me may

vanish and leave me in peace.” (Sukhmani V1 Prologue)