In India, audiences have been known to flock to her as if she were the Beatles. "We play to crowds of 200,000 people," she says. "They want to touch you and get your autograph. You go to these parks when it's a Sikh holiday, and they hear that these American Sikhs are going to sing, and you can't even see the end of the sea of people."
As the decades have passed, that sea of people has never managed to hoist Sada Sat Kaur toward a recording studio-until now. "The feeling inside myself was that this was all going to happen when it was supposed to happen," she says, "and it did."
In 2000 she was hanging around the watermelon tent at a Summer Solstice retreat in the mountains of New Mexico when she fell into an exchange with musician and producer Jeremy Toback. "We just got to talking and Jeremy and I were like, 'Let's do an album." The result of that chance encounter is Angels' Waltz, a debut disc from a 56-year-old homeopath and yoga instructor who also just happens to be a master of a musical and spiritual form.
Mul Mantra
Sada Sat Kaur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
Ajoonee, Saibhang
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
The Mul Mantra, the opening words of this beautiful composition by Sada Sat Kaur, is the most essential and sacred mantra in the Sikh tradition. Sikhs believe that it creates a strong foundation for consciousness by aligning the self with the truth of the universe, which is all one. The first line of the mantra, Ek Ong Kar, means "one creator." It is a reference to the oneness of all beings, a concept central to Sikhism. Sat Nam, meaning "truth is his name," reinforces the idea of the universality of truth. Kartaa Purkh, meaning "doer of everything," describes the creator as an active presence in the universe.
The next three lines describe some of the creator's attributes. Nirbhao means "without fear," suggesting the fearlessness of the creator, while Nirvair means "without hate," indicating an absence of hostility. Akaal Moorat, meaning "undying form," describes the nature of the creator as eternal and unchanging. The line "Ajoonee, Saibhang" suggests that the divine is beyond birth, death, and all other dualities. The following line, "Gur Prasaad, Jap," invites individuals to become aware of the truth by aligning themselves with the teachings of the guru.
The last three lines summarize the core message of Mul Mantra. "Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhee Sach" means "true in the beginning, true in the present, and will always be true." "Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach" says the same message in simpler terms, "Nanak says it will always be true." This mantra is a powerful tool for cultivating inner peace, wisdom, and connection to the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Kartaa Purkh
The creator and creation are one. The true name of the creator is present within all creation. The creator is the doer of everything.
Nirbhao, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat
The creator is fearless, without hate, and timeless in form.
Ajoonee, Saibhang
The creator is self-existent, without birth or death; the creator is realized through divine grace.
Gur Prasaad, Jap
Through the grace of the guru, one meditates on the true name of the creator.
Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach
The truth existed in the beginning and will continue to exist.
Hai Bhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach
The truth is present now and will always be present. Nanak says, the truth will always be present.
Contributed by Kaelyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.