'Naam' Above All: Guru Nanak's Call to Truth in Kalyug

This does not imply that caste distinctions have been positively dissolved. Rather, it is a lament that all sections of society — regardless of varna — have collectively turned away from Dharma.

Apr 09, 2025

Guru Nanak Dev Ji by Sobha Singh – Sikhexpo

Naam Above All: Guru Nanak's Call to Truth in Kalyug

A Spiritual Reflection on SGGS Ang 662–663 | Dhanaasri, Mehla 1, Ghar 3

Opening Reflection

In this powerful Shabad from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, my personal hukamnama today morning, Guru Nanak Dev Ji lays bare the spiritual decay of the world in Kalyug — the present Dark Age. The Guru, in his piercing clarity, critiques false religiosity, ritualism, and the loss of true Dharma (righteousness). Yet amidst this darkness, he offers light — the eternal Name (Naam) of the Divine as the supreme path to liberation.

It is essential to understand that terms such as "Ram", "Hari", and "Gobind" in Gurbani — unless clearly contextualized otherwise — do not refer to any specific incarnations or historical/ mythological kings, such as Raja Dashrath’s son. In the Sikh doctrine, these names point to the Nirgun (formless), Akal (timeless), Kartaa Purakh (Creator Being) — the One Supreme Lord beyond birth and death, whom Guru Nanak Dev Ji calls Waheguru.

The Emotional Weight of Raag Dhanaasri

This Shabad is set in Raag Dhanaasri, a melodic framework known for evoking feelings of devotional longing, supplication, and hopeful yearning. Often associated with pleas from the heart, Dhanaasri serves as a perfect raag for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message — one that critiques spiritual hypocrisy but also extends a merciful hand of divine hope. The soothing and reflective nature of this raag allows the listener to both absorb harsh truths and be uplifted by the promise of liberation through Naam. It carries the seeker from disillusionment to divine anchoring — from despair to devotion.

Gurbani with Transliteration and Translation

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਘਰੁ ੩

Ḏẖanāsrī mėhlā 1 gẖar 3
Dhanaasaree, First Mehl, Third House:

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

Ik▫oaŉkār saṯgur parsāḏ.
One Universal Creator God. By the Grace of the True Guru.

ਕਾਲੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਜੋਗੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਨਾਹੀ ਸਤ ਕਾ ਢਬੁ ॥

Kāl nāhī jog nāhī nāhī saṯ kā dẖab.
This is not the age of spiritual discipline; the true method of attaining Truth is lost.

ਥਾਨਸਟ ਜਗ ਭਰਿਸਟ ਹੋਏ ਡੂਬਤਾ ਇਵ ਜਗੁ ॥੧॥

Ṯẖānsat jag bẖarisat ho▫e dūbṯā iv jag. ||1||
The sacred places have become corrupt, and so the world is drowning in sin.

ਕਲ ਮਹਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਾਰੁ ॥

Kal mėh rām nām sāŗ.
In this Dark Age, the Naam — the Name of the Lord — is the truest essence.

ਅਖੀ ਤ ਮੀਟਹਿ ਨਾਕ ਪਕੜਹਿ ਠਗਣ ਕਉ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Akẖī ṯa mītėh nāk pakṛėh ṯẖagaṇ ka▫o sansār. ||1|| rahā▫o.
They shut their eyes, pinch their noses — fooling the world with deception. ||Pause||

ਆਂਟ ਸੇਤੀ ਨਾਕੁ ਪਕੜਹਿ ਸੂਝਤੇ ਤਿਨਿ ਲੋਅ ॥

Āŉt seṯī nāk pakṛėh sūjẖṯe ṯin lo▫a.
With fingers they press their noses, claiming to see the three realms.

ਮਗਰ ਪਾਛੈ ਕਛੁ ਨ ਸੂਝੈ ਏਹੁ ਪਦਮੁ ਅਲੋਅ ॥੨॥

Magar pācẖẖai kacẖẖ na sūjẖai ehu paḏam alo▫a. ||2||
Yet they see not even behind themselves — what kind of 'lotus pose' is this! ||2||

ਖਤ੍ਰੀਆ ਤ ਧਰਮੁ ਛੋਡਿਆ ਮਲੇਛ ਭਾਖਿਆ ਗਹੀ ॥

Kẖaṯrī▫ā ṯa ḏẖaram cẖẖodi▫ā malecẖẖ bẖākẖi▫ā gahī.
The warriors (Kshatriyas) have abandoned Dharma and adopted impure tongues.

ਸ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਸਭ ਇਕ ਵਰਨ ਹੋਈ ਧਰਮ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਰਹੀ ॥੩॥

Srisṭ sabẖ ik varan ho▫ī, dharam kī gaṯ rahī. ||3||
All of society has sunken to one degraded moral state; the path of Dharma has been lost. ||3||

ਅਸਟ ਸਾਜ ਸਾਜਿ ਪੁਰਾਣ ਸੋਧਹਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਬੇਦ ਅਭਿਆਸੁ ॥

Asat sāj sāj purāṇ soḏẖėh karahi beḏ abẖi▫ās.
They decorate grammar and study the Puranas; they rehearse the Vedas.

ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਮ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਦਾਸੁ ॥੪॥੧॥੬॥੮॥

Bin nām har ke mukaṯ nāhī kahai Nānak ḏās. ||4||1||6||8||
But without the Naam of the Lord, there is no liberation — says servant Nanak. ||4||1||6||8||

Closing Reflection: A Society Spiritually Uniform in Decline

This Shabad from Guru Nanak Dev Ji is a thunderous wake-up call for the soul lost in hollow rituals, moral confusion, and intellectual vanity. Guru Ji dissects the false practices of ascetics and scholars alike — closing eyes and pinching noses do not lead to liberation. Puranic readings and scholarly pride do not equate to divine realization. Only Naam — the remembrance and love of Akaal Purakh — is the true Yoga, the true Dharma, and the true Liberation.

Of special note is Guru Ji’s declaration: "Srishti sabh ik varan hoi, dharam kee gat rahee." This does not imply that caste distinctions have been positively dissolved. Rather, it is a lament that all sections of society — regardless of varna — have collectively turned away from Dharma. In other words, all are equally culpable in spiritual decline, not equally uplifted in virtue. The once-distinct roles assigned to uphold righteousness have now faded; the world has become uniformly corrupt in its abandonment of the divine path.

The reference to Ram here is also crucial to understand. Guru Ji does not invoke the name of a historical or mythological figure, but of the formless, omniscient Lord — the One without beginning or end, the Akaal Purakh, known in Sikh consciousness as Waheguru.

Guru Ji’s timeless verdict: the world is burning in corruption, but salvation remains within reach — for those who embrace the Naam, walk the path of truthful living, and recognize the Satguru’s Grace as the boat across the ocean of suffering.

Let us, as seekers on the Guru’s path, contemplate this Shabad deeply, and attune our souls to the One Naam that brings peace, purpose, and eternal joy.