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TheMūl Mantar (Punjabi:ਮੂਲ ਮੰਤਰ,[muːlᵊmən̪t̪əɾᵊ]) is the opening verse of theSikh scripture, theGuru Granth Sahib. It consists of twelve words in thePunjabi language, written inGurmukhi script, and are the most widely known among the Sikhs.[3][4] They summarize the essential teaching ofGuru Nanak,[3] thus constituting a succinct doctrinal statement ofSikhism.[5]
It has been variously translated, with the interpretation of the first two words particularly contested.[6] These are rendered as "There is one god,” "One reality is,” "This being is one,” and others. Sometimes the disagreements include capitalizing the “G” in “god,” or the “R” in “reality,” which affects the implied meaning in English.[3] Some consider itmonotheistic, othersmonist. The general view favors the monotheistic interpretation, but not theAbrahamic understanding of monotheism. It is rather "Guru Nanak's mystical awareness of the one that is expressed through the many."[3] The remaining ten words after the first two are literally translated as true name, the creator, without fear, without hate, timeless in form, beyond birth, self-existent, (known by) the grace of Guru.[3][6]
The verse is repeated in the Sikh scripture before numerousShabad, or hymns.[7] It existed in many versions in the 16th-century before it was given its final form byGuru Arjan in the 17th century.[8] The essential elements of themantar are found in Guru Nanak's compositions, the various epithets he used forAkal Purakh (Ultimate Reality).
Amantar means "formula, succinct doctrinal or sacred words with spiritual meaning".[9][10] The wordmūl means "root, main or "fundamental." TheMūl Mantar is thus "root formula",[9] or the root statement of Sikhism.[3]
TheMūl Mantar is:[6]
| Gurmukhi | Transliteration | Translation 1 (Eleanor Nesbitt)[3] | Translation 2 (Eleanor Nesbitt)[11] | Translation 3 (Pashaura Singh)[12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ੴ | ikk(u) ōaṅkār(u) | There is one god, | This Being is one, | There is one supreme being, |
The extended version with theJap verse is:[13][14][15]
| Gurmukhi | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ॥ ਜਪੁ॥ ਆਦਿ ਸਚੁ | ikk(u) ōaṅkār(u) sat(i)-nām(u) karatā purakh(u) ॥ jap(u)॥ | One creator, name is truth, agentive (doer) being, Recite: |
The archaic language of the Guru Granth Sahib is highlyinflected;[16] thesuffixed short vowels parenthesized above indicate variousdeclensions. In the Mūl Mantar, the suffixed -u indicates nouns and adjectives in themasculinesingulardirect case, though some words ending with -ā (likekaratā) can also indicate this case.[17] This suffix can also indicate animperative when attached to a verb,[18] as injapu.
The suffixed -a can indicate the masculinevocative case,[19] as inNānaka, the masculine singularoblique case[20] incompounds as ingura prasādi, and afeminine singular direct adjective[21] as inakala, as well as the masculine plural direct case and the feminine singular direct case.
The suffixed -i can indicate thepossessive case in compounds (as insati nāmu),[22] and thelocative[23] (as inādi andjugādi) orinstrumental case as ingura prāsadi;[24] these terms would beādu,jugādu, andprasādu if taking the direct case. It is also another feminine singular direct case[25] (as inmūrati);-a and-i are among the predominant declensions for this case.[25]
Adjectives andmodifiers also agree in number and gender with their dependent element,[17] henceikku oaṅkāru,akāla mūrati, and the termmūlu mantaru itself.
Most of these cases still exist in themodern language in slightly different forms; features in the archaic language like the masculine singular direct suffix-u and feminine singular direct suffix-a parallel nominal declensions in other related languages.
The includedgrave accent included in the above transliterations illustrates tones and guide the verbal pronunciation of the verse.
TheMūl Mantar is a widely known part of Sikh scripture, but it has posed a challenge to translators.[3] The first two wordsIk Onkar has been rendered multiple ways. It has been translated as "'There is one god', as 'One reality is', 'there is one God',[26] 'singularity despite seeming plurality,'[27] and 'This being is one,' and asserts the "distinctively Sikh theological emphasis" on "the ineffable quality of God" as "the Person beyond time," "the Eternal One," and "the One without form," and is canonically understood in Sikhism to refer to "absolute monotheistic unity of God".[28] The varying capitalization of "God", "Reality", or "Being" affects the meaning inEnglish.[3] A number of translations erroneously change theMūl Mantar from a list of qualities to a statement of facts andpossessive adjectives. For example, they may changeSatnam from "truth by name" to "His name is truth", which adds amasculine quality to theMūl Mantar which does not appear in the originalGurmukhi. These sacred words of Sikhism do not presume a particular gender.[3] theMūl Mantar serves as a "succinct statement which set the Sikh doctrine apart from the philosophical systems of both Indic and Semitic religious traditions."[5]
Some Sikh institutions, like theSGPC, consider theMūl Mantar proper to end atgura prasādi, arguing that what follows is the name and first line of theJapji Sahib composition, citing the number of times that the verse appears as such precedingGurbani compositions.[citation needed] On the other hand, other historic institutions, like sometaksals (traditional Sikh religious educational institutions) andgurmat schools, hold theMūl Mantar to be the full following verse, contending that this form has been used in theAmrit Sanchar baptizing ceremony since its inception.[29] This is in line with the stand taken by thenihangs and other groups who stress the recitation of the completeMūl Mantar, arguing that this tradition has come directly from the time of the Gurus, and there is reliable evidence to support this contention;[29] like thekamar kassā, or waist-belt body armor ofGuru Gobind Singh, preserved atMoti Bagh Palace Museum inPatiala, bearing an inscription of the long form.[29]
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