Mul Mantar

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The Mūl Mantar (Punjabi: ਮੂਲ ਮੰਤਰ, IPA: [muːlᵊ mən̪t̪əɾᵊ]) is the opening verse of the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. It consists of twelve words in the Punjabi language, written in Gurmukhi script, and are the most widely known among the Sikhs.^[3]^[4] They summarize the essential teaching of Guru Nanak,^[3] thus constituting a succinct doctrinal statement of Sikhism.^[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 g in god, or r in reality, which affects the implied meaning in English.^[3] Some consider it monotheistic, others monist. The general view favors the monotheistic interpretation, but not the Semitic 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 numerous Shabad, or hymns.^[7] It existed in many versions in the 16th-century before it was given its final form by Guru Arjan in the 17th century.^[8] The essential elements of the mantar are found in Guru Nanak's compositions, the various epithets he used for Akal Purakh (Ultimate Reality).

^ Nesbitt, Eleanor M. (2016). Sikhism : a very short introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-19-874557-0. OCLC 919186894.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Singh, Kavi Santokh. Sri Jap Sahib Stik Garab Ganjini Tika (in Punjabi). Giani Khazan Singh Pardhan. p. 6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Eleanor Nesbitt, "Sikhism: a very short introduction", ISBN 0-19-280601-7, Oxford University Press, pp. 22-24
^ Pashaura Singh (2000). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-0-19-564894-2.
^ Pashaura Singh (2006). Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory, and Biography in the Sikh Tradition. Oxford University Press. p. 246. ISBN 978-0-19-567921-2.
^ ^a ^b Pashaura Singh (2006). Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory, and Biography in the Sikh Tradition. Oxford University Press. pp. 245–258. ISBN 978-0-19-567921-2.
^ Kalsi, Sewa Singh; Marty, Martin E. (March 2005). Sikhism. Chelsea House Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-7910-8356-7. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
^ Pashaura Singh (2000). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press. pp. 88–89, earlier versions of Mūl Mantar and context: 82–90. ISBN 978-0-19-564894-2.

[1] Nesbitt, Eleanor M. (2016). Sikhism : a very short introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-19-874557-0. OCLC 919186894.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[2] Singh, Kavi Santokh. Sri Jap Sahib Stik Garab Ganjini Tika (in Punjabi). Giani Khazan Singh Pardhan. p. 6.

[nesbitt22-3] Eleanor Nesbitt, "Sikhism: a very short introduction", ISBN 0-19-280601-7, Oxford University Press, pp. 22-24

[4] Pashaura Singh (2000). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-0-19-564894-2.

[Singh2006p246-5] Pashaura Singh (2006). Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory, and Biography in the Sikh Tradition. Oxford University Press. p. 246. ISBN 978-0-19-567921-2.

[singhp245-6] Pashaura Singh (2006). Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory, and Biography in the Sikh Tradition. Oxford University Press. pp. 245–258. ISBN 978-0-19-567921-2.

[7] Kalsi, Sewa Singh; Marty, Martin E. (March 2005). Sikhism. Chelsea House Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-7910-8356-7. Retrieved 17 July 2010.

[Singh2000p88-8] Pashaura Singh (2000). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press. pp. 88–89, earlier versions of Mūl Mantar and context: 82–90. ISBN 978-0-19-564894-2.

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