Has the name "Waheguru" always been chanted?

[Onkara]

Sat Sri Akal

Searching for ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰ or " Waahay Guru / waheguru" in the Sri Granth Guru Sahib (http://www.srigranth.org/)only appears a few times (on two pages 1402 (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=KeertanPage&K=1402&L=11&id=59610) and 1403.)

Was there other names used before the popularity of "waheguru" took over or has this always been a predominant name for chanting (naam japa)?

What strikes me as interesting is that Guru Nanakji tell us to the chant the name, but I have not seen any name specifically referenced.

Please kindly confirm my understanding :) Thank you.

[Harjas Kaur]

ਤੂੰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਹਉ ਨਉਤਨੁ ਚੇਲਾ ॥
thoon sathigur ho nouthan chaelaa ||
You are the True Guru, and I am Your new disciple.
Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji p. 324


A true Guru has chelas/disciples.


ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ॥
kahu naanak gur manthra dhrirraaeiaa ||
Says Nanak, the GurMantra has been implanted within me;

ਕੇਵਲ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥੪॥੪੨॥੧੧੧॥
kaeval naam ridh maahi samaaeiaa ||4||42||111||
the Name alone is contained within my heart.
~SGGS Ji p. 188


A Guru gives a Gurmantra to his disciples, which he imparts or awakens within their atmas, that is His gift of liberation.


ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਦੀਖਿਆ ਲੀਨੀ ॥
sathigur dhaekhiaa dheekhiaa leenee ||
Beholding the True Guru, I have received His Teachings.
~SGGS i p. 227

Through initiation, also known as diksha or dheekya, the Guru's mantra is implanted into the chela. Traditionally this Guru mantra is gupt or secret and chanted generally by the chela alone. Waheguru is the Gurumantra of the Sikhs and way to chant this is by Naam Dhrih, a form of yogic pranayam given only by some sects by either a Mahapurakh gurudev or during Amrit Sanchaar. For this reason the Gurmantra is not used publically, although with the Tat Khalsa reform movement, virtually every other Naam of God from Gurbani is forgotten about or subsumed as only being a monotheistic Waheguru God. But originally, Vahiguru was a collection of beej/seed mantra syllables respecting the Names of primary Purna Vishnu yuga Avatars. The Sikh tradition in sanatan sampraday was to revere the Guru Sahibaan as in the lineage of Vishnu avatars for the Kaliyug, much as Gaudiya Vaishnavism reveres Mahaprahu Chaitanya as avatar for the Kaliyug.


Waheguru mantar:

ਸਤਿਜੁਗਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਵਾਸਦੇਵ ਵਵਾ ਵਿਸਨਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ ।
satijugi satigur vaasadayv vavaa visanaa naamu japaavai|
In Satyug, Visnu in the form of Vasudev is said to have incarnated and ‘V’ Of Vahiguru reminds of Visnu.

ਦੁਆਪਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਹਾਹਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ ।
duaapari satigur haree krisan haahaa hari hari naamu japaavai|
The true Guru of dvapar is said to be Harikrsna and ‘H’ of Vahiguru reminds of Hari.

ਤੇਤੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਰਾਮ ਜੀ ਰਾਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਜਪੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ ।
taytay satigur raam jee raaraa raam japay sukhu paavai|
In the the treta was Ram and ‘R’ of Vahiguru tells that rembering Ram will produce joy and happiness.

ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਗਗਾ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਲਾਵੈ ।
kalijugi naanak gur gobind gagaa gobind naamu alaavai|
In kalijug, Gobind is in the form of Nanak and ‘G’ of Vahiguru gets Govind recited.

ਚਾਰੇ ਜਾਗੇ ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗੀ ਪੰਚਾਇਣ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਾਇ ਸਮਾਵੈ ।
chaaray jaagay chahu jugee panchaain vichi jaai samaavai|
The recitations o f all the four ages subsume in Panchayan i.e. in the soul of the common man.

ਚਾਰੋ ਅਛਰ ਇਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਵਾਹਗੁਰੂ ਜਪੁ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਜਪਾਵੈ ।
chaaro achhar iku kari vaahaguroo japu mantr japaavai|
When joining four letters Vahiguru is remembered,

ਜਹਾ ਤੇ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਫਿਰਿ ਤਹਾ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥੪੯॥੧॥
jahaa tay upajiaa dhiri tahaa samaavai ॥49॥1॥
The jiv merges again in its origin.
~Vaar 1 Pauri 49 of Vaaran Bhai Gurdas Ji

[Harjas Kaur]

With the Tat Khalsa reform movement the knowledge and understanding of mantra jap has been lost completely. So Waheguru has become common usage as if it were the sole legitimate Name of the Sikh God. Most Sikhs do not even understand it and will tell you it means "wonderful God" or something like this to the sole Creator and blissfully ignorant of the authentic sanatan teachings about it.

V=Vishnu, Vasudeyv
H = Hari Krisna
G = Gobind
R = Rama

It is a Vaishnav mantra.

[karakara2]

Sat Sri Akal

Searching for ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰ or " Waahay Guru / waheguru" in the Sri Granth Guru Sahib (http://www.srigranth.org/)only appears a few times (on two pages 1402 (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=KeertanPage&K=1402&L=11&id=59610) and 1403.)

Was there other names used before the popularity of "waheguru" took over or has this always been a predominant name for chanting (naam japa)?

What strikes me as interesting is that Guru Nanakji tell us to the chant the name, but I have not seen any name specifically referenced.

Please kindly confirm my understanding :) Thank you.


Sat sri akaal Respected Snip ji,

i searched link you posted and found WAAHO ,WAAHOO chant is mentioned extensively

http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Search&Param=english&Tier=2&SearchData=waah


Was there other names used before the popularity of "waheguru" took over or has this always been a predominant name for chanting (naam japa)?

What strikes me as interesting is that Guru Nanakji tell us to the chant the name, but I have not seen any name specifically referenced.

AS per my little knowledge there are Countless names / NAAM , We can Remember by any Name /NAAM .

ਤੂ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ॥੧੮॥
You, Eternal and Formless One. ||18||

ਅਸੰਖ ਨਾਵ ਅਸੰਖ ਥਾਵ ॥
Countless names, countless places.

ਅਗੰਮ ਅਗੰਮ ਅਸੰਖ ਲੋਅ ॥
Inaccessible, unapproachable, countless celestial realms.

ਅਸੰਖ ਕਹਹਿ ਸਿਰਿ ਭਾਰੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
Even to call them countless is to carry the weight on your head.


I know you will enjoy the following

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPvpETZzfKc&feature=related




[B]SAT NAM (The Name is TRUTH )

[Onkara]

Harjas Ji
Thanks for an informative post. Do you think the first sikhs would have used a more general chant or kirtan e.g. "Har Har" as often found in verses whilst together in Sangat?

[Harjas Kaur]

Snip writes:

Do you think the first sikhs would have used a more general chant or kirtan e.g. "Har Har" as often found in verses whilst together in Sangat?

As Sikhism is derived from a thousands years old heritage rich in mantra yoga and raga kirtan, this isn't even applicable. Sikhism isn't like Christianity which started in a very simple format but evolved to an institution of great complexity. It did not begin as something simple or general, for the basic fact it is rooted in pre-existing philsophical complexities of Sanatan Dharma. The kirtan of the Sikhs is improperly performed today and was originated with the Gurus as Ragas form of Carnatic music style. All the Guru's bani was sung to very specific raags. Traditionally, ragas have particular deity and particular influence over the body-mind to elevate to spiritual spheres. Raag kirtan is a form of mantra jaap, and this was going back to pre-historic Vedic times. Let me share a link to professional kirtanis singing the Gurbani in proper Raag to illustrate the point.


Kirtan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVnRGLgd9DU&feature=related)

Bhai Avtar Dilbag Singh : Jagat Jalanda Rakh Lae (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEElMeKEKlQ&feature=related)

The Sikh kirtanis from time of rababi player bhai Mardana have been professionally trained musicians.



"We find more literary sources for Carnatic music in sacred scriptures following the Vedas. Many musical notes and musical instruments have their references from the Upanishads, Brahmanas and Puranas. Many musical concepts that are still prominent in Carnatic music today derived from these famous texts. Since these texts follow Sanskrit also known as the Devanagari language, most of the Carnatic music is in Sanskrit also. One of the reasons for the existence of Carnatic music is that many saints and seers through the ages believed it to be the greatest form of art. It was a way to perform tapasya, also known as penance, through which it is the easiest way to attain salvation and Moksha. Most of the musical compositions seem to have both philosophical references to living people and serve also as a descriptive way of explaining the beauty of various deities." Karnāṭaka Saṃgītaṃ: A Gift from the Devas and Devis, by Sai Santosh Kolluru (http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2009/08/karnataka-samgitam-a-gift-from-the-devas-and-devis-by-sai-santosh-kolluru/)

http://sikhsinkuwait.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/guru_nanak_mardana_bala_woodcut1.jpg
Guru Nanak Dev Ji shown with bhai Mardana and his rabab.



ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ ॥
raag maalaa ||
Raag Maalaa:

ਰਾਗ ਏਕ ਸੰਗਿ ਪੰਚ ਬਰੰਗਨ ॥
raag eaek sang panch barangan ||
Each Raga has five wives,

ਸੰਗਿ ਅਲਾਪਹਿ ਆਠਉ ਨੰਦਨ ॥
sang alaapehi aatho nandhan ||
and eight sons, who emit distinctive notes.

ਪ੍ਰਥਮ ਰਾਗ ਭੈਰਉ ਵੈ ਕਰਹੀ ॥
prathham raag bhairo vai karehee ||
In the first place is Raag Bhairao.
~Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji p. 1429

[Onkara]

Thanks once again. Harjas Ji :)