Sat nam meaning: what it means and how to chant it

Sat nam, in one line

Sat nam means "true name", or "truth is the name". It's two words from Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script as ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ (sati nāmu):

• Sat (sati): truth, what is real and lasting. It's related to the Sanskrit satya.
• Nam (nāmu): name. In Sikh thought, naam also means the divine presence you remember and meditate on.

So when you hear it at the end of a kundalini class, that's what's being said: something like "truth is the name", or "the true one".

Where sat nam comes from

Sat nam comes from Sikhism. It's the second phrase of the Mul Mantar, the verse that opens the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture. The verse is attributed to Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, who lived in Punjab from 1469 to 1539.

The Mul Mantar starts:

ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ (Ik Onkar, sat nam, karta purakh…)

It's a list of qualities of the one God: there is one, truth is the name, the creator, without fear, without hate, and so on. Scholars translate the opening words a few different ways ("whose name is truth", "the true name", "truth by name"), and the differences matter to people who study it, so if you see slightly different translations, that's why.

For Sikhs, the Mul Mantar is recited every day, and Satnam is also used as a name for God, often together with Waheguru, as in the chant "Satnam Waheguru".

How kundalini yoga uses sat nam

Kundalini yoga, as it's practised in the West, borrowed a lot of Punjabi and Sikh language, and sat nam is the big one. In a kundalini class, you'll hear it as:

• A hello and a goodbye. People say "sat nam" to each other, a bit like "namaste" in other yoga classes.
• The closing chant. One long SAAAAT and a short NAM at the end of class.
• A seed mantra (bij mantra). Kundalini teachers often translate it as "truth is my identity", which is a modern, yoga-class reading rather than the scripture's meaning.
• The sound in sat kriya. In sat kriya, you chant SAT as you pull your navel in and NAM as you release.
• The root of SA TA NA MA. In kundalini yoga, the four sounds of kirtan kriya are said to come from sat nam.

How to say sat nam

• Sat sounds like "sut" (rhymes with "but"), not "sat" like you sat on a chair.
• Nam sounds like "nahm", with a long, open a.

In the long closing chant, the SAT is stretched out and the NAM is short and soft at the end. In everyday Punjabi, both are said quite quickly.

A 3-minute sat nam meditation

1. Sit tall, on a cushion or a chair.
2. Rest your hands on your knees in gyan mudra: thumb and index fingertip touching.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Breathe in slowly through your nose and silently think SAT.
5. Breathe out slowly and silently think NAM.
6. Keep going for 3 minutes. When your mind wanders, come back to the next breath.

That's it. It's tiny, it's quiet, and it's honestly a really soft way to start the day ☁️

Using it respectfully

Sat nam isn't a cute yoga word. It's from the opening line of a living religion's scripture, and it means a lot to millions of Sikhs. You don't have to be Sikh to say it, and plenty of Sikhs are happy to hear it said with care. A few easy ways to be respectful:

• Know what it means (you do now).
• Say where it's from. It's from Sikh scripture. Kundalini yoga uses it, but kundalini yoga isn't Sikhism.
• Skip putting it on merch or as a throwaway caption.
• Learn a little more about Sikhism from Sikh sources if it speaks to you.

Go deeper

Our Kundalini for Babes course uses sat nam all the way through: in the breath, in sat kriya, in kirtan kriya and in the closing. Or start with what kundalini is and the free 7-Day Chakra Challenge.

FAQ

What does sat nam mean?

Sat nam means "true name" or "truth is the name". It comes from the Mul Mantar, the opening verse of the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. Kundalini yoga classes often translate it as "truth is my identity".

How do you respond to sat nam?

In a kundalini yoga class, you say "sat nam" back. It works as both hello and goodbye.

Is sat nam a Sikh word?

Yes. It's Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script as ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ, and it's from Sikh scripture. Kundalini yoga took it up as a greeting and mantra.

How do you pronounce sat nam?

Sat rhymes with "but" (sut), and nam sounds like "nahm". In the closing chant, the SAT is long and the NAM is short.

Sources

• Guru Granth Sahib, page (ang) 1, the Mul Mantar, in Gurmukhi with transliteration. SriGranth
• Nesbitt E (2016). Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd edition. Oxford University Press. OUP
• Singh P (2000). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. Guru Nanak
• Wikipedia. Mul Mantar (for the translation debate and grammar notes)