IK ONKAAR at golden temple

27 Oct 2010 2 Comments

by vs moni in Religion Tags: Golden temple, Ik Onkaar

 

A beautiful prayer heard at the Golden Temple

Ik Onkaar, ਇੱਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ, is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy. It is a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism and is found on all religious scriptures and Gurudwaras. Derived from Punjabi, Ik Onkār is the first phrase in the Mul Mantra referring to the existence of “one God”. It is found in the Gurmukhi script and is consequently also part of the Sikh morning prayer, Japji Sahib.

It will be a unique experience to listen to this prayer early in the morning at the Golden Temple.

Ik Onkaar   Sat naam    karta purakh

nirbhau   nirvair    akaal morrat   ajoonee saibhng

gur prasad    jap aad sach     jug aad sach     Hai bee sach

Naanak hosee bhee sach

Meaning

There is one god.    Truth is his name, he is the creator.  He is without fear He is without hate.  He is timeless without form.  He is beyond birth and death.  He can be known as the Guru’s grace.   Meditate on the name.  He was true before the creation.  He was true when ages commenced. He is true now. He will always be true

Guru Granth Sahib

Sikhs believe that Guru Granth Sahib is the Supreme spiritual authority and head of the Sikh religion, rather than any living person. The original version was compiled by Guru Arjun Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, in 1604. He collected the compositions of previous gurus over a number of years. The text includes almost 6000 hymns and poems composed at different times and in different languages, which makes it very difficult to translate. It also includes Hindu and Muslim writings, reflecting the religious tolerance of the gurus.