VIII. The Source of God’s Holy Name
(ਨਾਮੁ ਕਿਥੋਂ ਮਿਲੇ?)
All boils down to the fact that according to God, as expressed in His Holy Hymns, salvation for mankind is possible only through continuously repitition of His Name (ਨਾਮੁ ਸਿਮਰਨ). Now the question arises as to where to obtain His Holy Name from and who is going to administer it? Let us see what God tells us through His Holy Hymns about it.
2.
ਸਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਚੀ ਪਤਿ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ ਕੋਈ ॥
ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੋ ਨਾਉ ਨ ਪਾਏ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਐਸੀ ਬਣਤ ਬਣਾਈ ਹੇ ॥9॥
{1046}
No one will ever achieve salvation (ਮੁਕਤਿ) without His name. It is only by virtue of the Holy Name (ਸਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ) that one is honored by God. God has so willed that His Name can only be administered by the Almighty Guru (Guru Nanak) and nobody else.
3.
ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਆਪੇ ਸਭੁ ਆਪਨ ਖੇਲੁ ਦਿਖਾਧਾ ॥
ਪਾਇਓ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਕਹੀ ਭਾਂਤਿ ਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਲਾਧਾ ॥4॥6॥
{1204}
God by Himself is All-in-all, and he Himself is running the entire show of the universe. He cannot be achieved by any means whatsoever except with the grace and guidance of the Guru. Thus the possibility of any other individual except the Satguru administering His Name to mankind, is ruled out.
4.
ਅਨੇਕ ਜੂਨੀ ਭਰਮਿ ਆਵੈ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਏ ॥
ਫਿਰਿ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਪਾਏ ਲਾਗਿ ਚਰਣੀ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਾਏ ॥
{920}
One may take birth for a countless number of times in search of salvation, he will never find it without the help of the Almighty Guru. He will get salvation only when he seeks Satguru’s protection and the Satguru initiates him with the Holy Name.
5.
ਨਾਮਹੀਨ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਜੀਵਤੇ ਤਿਨ ਵਡ ਦੂਖ ਸਹੰਮਾ ॥
ਓਇ ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਜੋਨਿ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ਮੰਦਭਾਗੀ ਮੂੜ ਅਕਰਮਾ ॥3॥
ਗੁਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਫਲੁ ਜਨੰਮਾ ॥4॥2॥
{799}
Those who are devoid of Holy Name are the cursed ones and will live an aggrieved life. They are unwise and unfortunate and are spun in the never-ending cycle of birth and death. Their lives becomes blessed and worthwhile only if and when the Guru administers the holy Name to them.
6.
In fact the real purpose of life is not only to eat, drink, dress well, and indulge in material enjoyments (this we have done enough in our past lives as insects, birds and beasts) but to live just well, in order to be able to repeat God’s Name continuously. God’s pleasure will thus accrue and bring in its wake all the benefits of life along with ultimate salvation through communion with the Creator, who is the sole object of our life
7.
God has empowered only the Satguru (Guru Nanak) to administer His Holy Name to potential disciples thus enabling them (disciples) to keep on reciting the Holy Name (ਨਾਮੁ) for the rest of their lives. Except the Satguru no other person on earth is empowered to perform this ceremony of administering Holy Name.
8.
Guru Sahib (i.e. from Guru Nanak to the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib), personally performed the ceremony of baptising disciples by making them drink Holy Water (Amrit) first, and then initiating them with the Gurmantar (the name of God), and also urging them to recite Holy Hymns (ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ) in their daily prayers in a set order.
