Waheguru Vs Kirtam Names

[Bijla Singh]

Following is an extract taken from Sacha Guru by Giani Udham Singh. The book was written in Punjabi and the extract has been translated. Although the entire book is full of Gurmat knowledge and worth reading, the following passage really stuck out to me, which I thought would be worth sharing.

Translation Begins----------------

In Gurbani many names like Raam, Ishwar, Allah, Govind etc appear but word ‘Waheguru’ appears very seldom and mostly in Bhatt Sweayas. From this many start raising question on the power and superiority of gurmantar by saying that the Gurus did not mention such a word in their own bani and what makes it so special?

Naam is of two types: Jaati and Safaati. Jaati refers to name of the person while Safaati refers to his action, doing, character or praise. For example, take the name Kishan Singh Halvayee. While Kishan Singh is jaati name meaning his original name; Halvayee is his safaati name meaning it is his profession or something he does. If Kishan Singh starts another profession of say gold then his name would be Kishan Singh Suniara (goldsmith) or if he takes the profession of a clerk then his name would be Kishan Singh Clerk but the original name (Kishan Singh) would not change. Similarly, God’s name is Raam because He is omnipresent, Narayan because He is present in everyone’s heart, Govind because He dispels darkness (GO = darkness, Vind = Light), Gopal because He is the supporter of the earth so on and so forth. These words explain one character of God and praise Him in one aspect only. But there comes one instance when nothing remains and everything created gets absorbed back in God. Then God is not Raam, Govind, Gopal or Narayan anymore so all the kirtam names also vanish. But He is even then Waheguru because He remains Wondrous, glorious and source of the light (knowledge or gyan). Therefore, while all other names do not remain valid, only Waheguru remains valid.

Take another example of a faithful wife who praises her husband by saying that her husband is nice, smart, well-mannered, handsome, moral, ethical etc., she is describing one particular quality of her husband but if she says that her husband is full of virtues and complete then she is praising the husband in entirety, directly and fully. Such is the nature of word Waheguru. Waheguru Shabad is the source of all just like all canals and rivers submerge in the sea and all rays of light merge back in the sun, all the names merge back in Waheguru. Each kirtam or safaati name praises only one character of God while the word Waheguru is the original and praises God directly not just one character.

It is not to be concluded that meditating upon other names is wrong. One can definitely meditate upon other names but such action is not abhiyaas of gurmantar (practice of gurmantar). Guru Sahib has instructed Sikhs to practice gurmantar only. Since only Guru Sahib has the right to give this mantar to a disciple, it has been kept secret in Gurbani. Guru Sahib passed on this right to Panj Pyare. No one else has this right nor does anyone have the right to change it to “Wahegur” and “Wahguru” etc. A Sikh follows the instructions of Guru Sahib and he must practice this mantar only. Bhai Gurdas Ji explains its importance in one of his Kabits as follows:

One wanders to 68 pilgrimage and remains in meditation for for yugs on Kailash Mountain.

One spends countless lives hanging upside down and even burns his body in fire.

One performs one hundred thousand Asvmedh Yagg in Kurkshetra.

What one obtains from all this can be obtained by saying “Waheguru” just once.

Translation Ends-------------------------

I apologize for poor translation. Guru Rakha

[REDRUM]

Naam is naam regardless of what you jap. Bhagat kabeer ji japped raam raam and still met waheguru. Obvioulsy as sikhs we will jaap waheguru but it doesn't mean the other names of waheguru are worth less..

[singhfauja]

ਕਿਰਤਮਨਾਮਕਥੇਤੇਰੇਜਿਹਬਾ॥ ਸਤਿਨਾਮੁਤੇਰਾਪਰਾਪੂਰਬਲਾ॥ (੧੦੮੩)

There is a great difference between kirtam naam (Allah, Ram, Khudaa) and Sat Naam (ie: "WaheGuru").

During Amrit Sinchar Sikhs are given "WaheGuru" mantar which is Akal Purakh Sahib's SatNaam, we are NOT given any kirtam naam at that time.

The Hukam for Sikhs is to jap SatNaam (ie: "WaheGuru") as their Gurmantar.

The above verse states that only SatNaam is Akal Purakh Sahib's PRIMAL and ORIGINAL NAAM - the same one the Panj Piyaray give to the Sikhs in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

[REDRUM]

Whichever naam you are given by your panj piyareh or sant. Makesure you jaap that naam with faith, love, trust, contentment and with full concentration. Without concentration japping naam will be pointless...

"The above verse states that only SatNaam is Akal Purakh Sahib's PRIMAL and ORIGINAL NAAM - the same one the Panj Piyaray give to the Sikhs in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji."

Satnaam can be waheguru, raam etc as the def of satnam is that waheguru's name is true but so is ram, har, gobind etc . You say 'original' the naam waheguru only was given to the world in kaljug by sri guru nanak dev ji before then all other names for waheguru were used. Won't they original?

But I get your point that as sikhs we will jaap waheguru as instructed by the panj...

[Bijla Singh]

Kirtam names are not worthless but they only praise one quality of Waheguru. Gurmantar is complete and superior to all other names. Guru Sahib gave us gurmantar because it is superior otherwise there was no need to invent a new word just for the heck of it. All names are not equal. There is not a single pankti in Gurbani that supports this notion. Bhai Gurdas Ji calls gurmantar superior to all other names of all yugs.

[Only five]

I believe what Bilja SIngh ji translated to us is right. Like the name Raam as is said by Bilja Singh ji is a quality of Waheguru, which shows him(Waheguru) in the Sargun form. But when we say Waheguru it is the the Nargun form of Waheguru, which is the ultimate form of waheguru. When we do simran we aim for the ultimate form(without attributes) and if we get stuck on the sargun then it becomes a spiritual block.

[REDRUM]

Like I said before it doesn't really matter what mantar you use as long as it is remembering waheguru. Main thing is japping it with prem, vishvash, sharda and in chardi kala. Waheguru has many names otherwise why would guru gobind singh ji write jaap sahib where he describes god in so many ways as he could of wrote waheguru many times but he didn't. Also only 5 there is no difference in sargun saroop and nirgun saroop both ways can give mukhti hence realisation of waheguru. Also each jug (due to avtars and gurus) has it's own mantar maybe in the next jug there will be another mantar. Each jug comes out with a new mantar then in the next jug you could say a better mantar than waheguru will come out if you believe that 1 mantar is better than another?!

[Only five]

Like I said before it doesn't really matter what mantar you use as long as it is remembering waheguru.

The Gurbani below say it does matter as Waheguru is the formless Lord. Yes saying Raam is virtues. Calling Waheguru as Raam is valid because he has that quality, but that is the Sargun Saroop of Waheguru, where in when there is only Waheguru it does not exist(Raam). So even though Waheguru is Raam, he still is above this quality. Saying Raam is focusing on that one quality. Saying Waheguru is focusing on the ultimate form of Waheguru.

Main thing is japping it with prem, vishvash, sharda and in chardi kala.

yes this is main and really important and this is the way a person realizes Waheguru is not Raam or Gobind etc, etc, but in is Formless(Waheguru).

Waheguru has many names otherwise why would guru gobind singh ji write jaap sahib where he describes god in so many ways as he could of wrote waheguru many times but he didn't.

Shabads are written in different forms to help bring out a certain virtue(s) in a person, which helps the person realize the ultimate form of Waheguru as Waheguru; not as Raam or Govind because these are Sargun Saroop, which came from the formless Lord.

Also only 5 there is no difference in sargun saroop and nirgun saroop both ways can give mukhti hence realisation of waheguru.

Yes there is a difference because Sargun Saroop came from Nargun Saroop. Sargun Saroop is not the ultimate form, but Nargun Saroop(formless) is the ultimate form. spiritually focusing on the virtues is blocking some from seeing Waheguru. They get fixated on Raam and see him as that, when really he is Waheguru. Other religions put him as a Sargun Saroop. But Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji said no,God is not Raam or whatever, but is the formless Lord(Waheguru). Raam is a part of him, but not him as a whole. As a whole he is Waheguru.

Also each jug (due to avtars and gurus) has it's own mantar maybe in the next jug there will be another mantar. Each jug comes out with a new mantar then in the next jug you could say a better mantar than waheguru will come out if you believe that 1 mantar is better than another?!

Here is Gurbani that speaks on this topic.

This Shabad is by Guru Amar Daas Ji in Raag Sorath on Pannaa 644

pauVI ]

pourree ||

Pauree:

so hir purKu AgMmu hY khu ikqu ibiD pweIAY ]

so har purakh aga(n)m hai kahu kith bidhh paaeeai ||

The Lord God is inaccessible; tell me, how can we find Him?

iqsu rUpu n ryK AidRstu khu jn ikau iDAweIAY ]

this roop n raekh adhrisatt kahu jan kio dhhiaaeeai ||

He has no form or feature, and He cannot be seen; tell me, how can we meditate on Him?

inrMkwru inrMjnu hir Agmu ikAw kih gux gweIAY ]

nira(n)kaar nira(n)jan har agam kiaa kehi gun gaaeeai ||

The Lord is formless, immaculate and inaccessible; which of His Virtues should we speak of and sing?

ijsu Awip buJwey Awip su hir mwrig pweIAY ]

jis aap bujhaaeae aap s har maarag paaeeai ||

They alone walk on the Lord's Path, whom the Lord Himself instructs.

guir pUrY vyKwilAw gur syvw pweIAY ]4]

gur poorai vaekhaaliaa gur saevaa paaeeai ||4||

The Perfect Guru has revealed Him to me; serving the Guru, He is found. ||4||

[guruvah]

Kirtam Naams do have a value of but it is not equal IN ANY WAY to SatNaam. Gurmantar given by Guru Nanak Dev is srist in Kalyug. This is the currency of Kalyug. Kirtam Naam were currencies of the past.

Whichever naam you are given by your panj piyareh or sant.

to hold Panj Piarey and sant as equal is pure Manmat. Neither has any sant the right to DRIR Naam in any Sikh, this is the sole duty of Guru Roop Panj Piarey in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.

[gurmukhsodhi]

ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਜਾਉ ਜੇਤੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਨਾਵ ਹੈ ॥੪॥੨॥

I am a sacrifice to Your Names, as many as there are, O Lord. ||4||2||

page 1168,sggs

&

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਹੈ ਜਪਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਖੋਈ ।

His Guru-manta is Vahiguru, whose recitation erases egotism.

varaan Bhai Gurdas Ji Vaar 13 Pauri 2