Life & Legacy
Born in 1469 in Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan), Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the founder of Sikhi and the first of its ten Gurus. He taught the oneness of God (Ik Onkar), the equality of all people, and devotion expressed through honest living, selfless service, and the loving remembrance of the Divine Name (Naam). Central to his path was kirtan — the singing of sacred hymns — which he performed throughout his extensive travels (the udasis) alongside his lifelong companion, the musician Bhai Mardana, who accompanied him on the rabab.
Nanak's compositions, beginning with the Mul Mantar and the Japji Sahib, open the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh scripture that is itself sung as kirtan in gurdwaras around the world. His insistence that sacred song belongs to everyone, sung together in community, resonates deeply with the spirit of Kirtan, and his hymns and the Mul Mantra are carried into the Western chant world by artists such as Snatam Kaur.
Contribution to Kirtan
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In the Glossary
Gurbaniਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ
The Guru's Word — the compositions of the Sikh Gurus and saints enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib, organized by raga and meant to be sung as shabad kirtan.
Naamਨਾਮੁ
The Divine Name — the vibration by which the One is known and remembered. Its loving remembrance (naam simran) is the heart of the path Guru Nanak taught.
Shabadਸ਼ਬਦ
The sacred Word — a hymn of the Guru Granth Sahib sung as kirtan. In the Sikh tradition the shabad itself, not the singer, is the living vessel of the Divine.
Simranਸਿਮਰਨ
Loving remembrance of the Divine — the continuous, meditative repetition of God's Name, whether whispered aloud, sung, or carried silently on the breath. Naam simran is the heart-practice of Sikh devotion, turning everyday consciousness back toward the One.
Wahe Guruਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ
An exclamation of wonder at the Divine — "Wondrous is the Guru" who carries us from darkness to light. As the gurmantar it is the central mantra of Sikh remembrance, repeated in meditation and song.