Image: detail from photo by Gurumustuk Singh.
Sikhing Answers
What does the Clarion Call of "Boley So Nihaal ..." Mean?
Sikhing Answers - VIII
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TODAY'S QUESTION - # 8
The full-throated clarion call - jaikaara - of "Boley so Nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal!" is heard wherever Sikhs are ... at worship, at play, at work, etc. Proclaimed by man, woman and child.
What does it mean?
What is it its purpose? Its origins?
Posted on February 25, 2012
Closing Date: March 3, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Sharandeep Singh (United Kingdom), February 25, 2012, 7:59 AM.
I believe the accurate call is 'JO boley' - an article that has been dropped, but required to complement 'SO nihaal'. Translation - "Who so declares, Truth is Eternal, is blessed!" Meaning - a declaration of allegiance to the Guru, and ultimately aligning oneself with the public struggle for truth and justice.
2: Harmeet Bawa (India), February 25, 2012, 8:01 AM.
Anyone who says these words will be blessed and enriched.
3: Dilpret Singh (New Delhi, India), February 25, 2012, 8:07 AM.
It means: Jo vi bolega (chant karega/ Naam juppey-ga). So Nihaal: Oh nihaal (shudh/pavitar) ho jayega ... Ki bolega? Sat Sri Akaal: Akaal purakh Waheguru/Ishwar/Allah da naam sat hai ... Jo vi Sat Sri Akaal bolega, oh nihaal ho javega ...
4: Iuvraj (India), February 25, 2012, 8:14 AM.
Guru Gobind Singh ji revealed the Khalsa ... each a Tegh Bahadar! ... who will henceforth answer every such call ... Hence the War Cry of Waheguru!
5: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), February 25, 2012, 10:25 AM.
The Sikh Clarion Call and 'Battle Cry' means" "Whoever utters: the Deathless Creator is forever True, will be blessed!"
6: Dalbeer Singh (Hyderabad, India), February 25, 2012, 10:27 AM.
It is a jaikara ('The Victory of Truth'): He or she be blessed who says that God is Truth.
7: Sarvajeet Singh (New Delhi, India), February 25, 2012, 10:28 AM.
The reason behind this clarion call is to motivate us as well as others. This also creates power inside us to do any type of hard work which others may say is 'impossible, you can't do it'.
8: Gurkirpal Singh Parmar (Punjab), February 25, 2012, 12:06 PM.
The real Call is " Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal" - which means: "Whoever says God is Truth, will be blessed."
9: R. Singh (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), February 25, 2012, 1:48 PM.
The Jaikara, like everything in Sikhi, is an instruction. "Those that speak the TRUTH, experience Nihaal". It is not the literal expression of the words SAT SRI AKAAL, but what the words mean which gives the speaker "nihaal".
10: Ajit Singh Batra (Pennsville, New Jersey, U.S.A..), February 25, 2012, 2:01 PM.
It refers to Truth and absolute Truth. Wherever you are and whatever is the activity - worship, work, play, wars, management, court cases (acceptance and compliance), contests, pronouncements, etc. - do not deviate from Truth and absolute Truth.
11: R. Singh (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), February 25, 2012, 2:15 PM.
The jaikara can be translated as "Those who speak the Truth experience nihaal!"
12: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), February 25, 2012, 4:24 PM.
Fantastic 'Sikhing Answers' feature! Can Sikhs use this Clarion Call to unite themselves today? We did it three centuries ago, and since, over and over again!
13: Preetraman Singh (Australia), February 25, 2012, 8:14 PM.
It means the person who remembers Waheguru is always in high spirits. In my opinion, the same is spoken by the Sikhs in order to remember God no matter what we are doing in our busy lives.
14: Charanjeet singh (New Delhi, India), February 26, 2012, 2:26 AM.
'Jaikara' means "victory", "triumph". If someone says the name of God, he will be enlightened, Victory will be his. And God is the one whose name is Truth and He is beyond time. Whoever takes his name become fearless. A man fears when he think he will lose, but by shouting a jaikara he becomes fearless as he is making an affirmation of victory and triumph. Imagine the the Sikh are engaged in a battle (e.g., 1984) and they are just a few in number. And the whole country is against them. Definitely there will be a feeling of the challenge they are facing. But by proclaiming a jaikara, their hearts become fearless. So when you are afraid you should loudly proclaim the jaikara - "jehrra gujj ke bulaawey so nihaal sat sri akaaaaaaal ...!"
15: Ravinder Singh (Mumbai, India), February 26, 2012, 3:30 AM.
It means whoever takes the name of the One God will become one with chardi kalaa {a positive frame of mind}. Sat Sri Akal refers to the One God,.Waheguru, and is described as Truth. Sri means venerable, and Akal means deathless.
16: Mohan Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), February 26, 2012, 10:25 AM.
Nihal means to prosper, flourish, delight or happy. Sat means true, real, or eternal, as used by Guru Nanak in the Mool Mantar (satnaam - eternal reality). Sri denotes honor, glory, grace or majesty. Akal also occurs in the Mool Mantar as Akaal Moorat, describing the Absolute. "Sat Sri Akal" shouted in unison, responding to the call, "Jo boley so nihal" (whoever so pronounces shall prosper) is a call to action, or expression of ecstatic joy or an invocation for Divine aid or succor. This jaikara was first popularized by Guru Gobind Singh, Nanak X, and has become a popular mode of expressing ebullient religious fervor or a mood of joy and celebration, an integral part of Sikh liturgy and is shouted at the end of an ardaas or prayer, as part of the sangat/congregation.
17: Balbir Singh (Germany), February 26, 2012, 12:41 PM.
'Boley so Nihaal' is for Naam, for example: 'jo bolahi hari hari naao ..." [GGS:645] and 'gur ka sabad jap bhae nihaal [GGS:28]. This liquidates ego. Sat (truth), Sri (the treasure) of Akaal, remains.
18: G. Singh (U.S.A.), February 26, 2012, 5:13 PM.
It also evokes a sense of power and becomes a harbinger of victory for Sikhs and as such is used while undertaking a challenge, a difficult task. That's how my 4-year old daughter sees it. I have a home gym weight machine in my garage. One of those new year resolutions to work out more often. Every time when I move the pin half way while lifting weights, she will take it out and move it a few notches down. When I tell her it's too much, she will say ... "Daddy, Bole so Nihal!" and I respond with "Sat Sri Akal" and give my full force to lift it. It has become our little work-out ritual.
19: Gurvinder (India), March 08, 2012, 8:48 AM.
Our ultimate aim of life is to meet Almighty God. And for getting that aim the only way is simran of naam. So, the jaikara is a reminder to us that ... jaddo(n) vi ussi simran saad sangat vich karnney haa(n) Guru kirpa naal saadda ghar dwar sab positive vibes naal rumm jaanda hai.