Satnam

Satnam (Punjabi: ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ, lit. 'true name',^[1] pronunciation: [sæt̪ näːmɔ]) is the main word that appears in the Sikh sacred scripture called the Guru Granth Sahib.

Etymology

The term derives from the Sanskrit word satyanaman, meaning “he whose name is truth”.^[2]

Meaning and usage

It is part of the Gurbani Shabad called Mool Mantra which is repeated daily by Sikhs. This word succeeds the word "Ek Onkar" which means "There is only one constant" or commonly "There is one God." The word sat means "true/everlasting" and nam means "name".^[3] In this instance, this would mean, "Whose name is truth."^[4] Satnam is referred to God as the Name of God is True and Everlasting.^[5]

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 emphasised the need of repeating Sat-Nam to realise the All-pervading Supreme Reality."^[6]

The term would be adopted and used by the various Satnami movements.^[2]

References

1. Wani, Abid Mushtaq (2018). Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism: A Comparative Study. Educreation Publishing. p. 107.
2. Duignan, Brian; Stefon, Matt; Doniger, Wendy; Lotha, Gloria (26 April 2021). "Satnami sect". Britannica. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
3. Kaur Rait, Satwant (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.
4. Nijhawan, Michael; Mandair, Arvind (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 978-0-415-95828-8.
5. Real Sikhism: Meaning of Term Satnam
6. Singh Dhillon, Dalbir (1988). "3 Evolution of Institutions and Ethical Doctrines". Sikhism Origin and Development. Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. p. 226.