''Bole So Nihal'' ( pa, ਬੋਲੇ ਸੋ ਨਿਹਾਲ, meaning "Whoever utters, shall be fulfilled.") is a ''
Jaikara'' or war cry or Clarion call'' of
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
given by the Tenth guru,
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
.
Use
''Bole So Nihal...
Sat Sri Akal
Sat Sri Akaal (Gurumukhi ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ, ) is a '' Jaikara'' (lit. ''Call of Victory'') now used, often, as a greeting by Punjabi Sikhs. It is the second half of the ''Sikh Clarion call'', given by the Tenth guru, Guru Gobind ...
'' (''Shout Aloud in Ecstasy... True is the Great Timeless One'') is the Sikh slogan or ''jaikara'' (lit. shout of victory, triumph or exultation) which means ''one will be blessed eternally who says that God is the ultimate truth''.
Besides being a popular mode of expressing ebullient religious fervour or a mood of joy and celebration, it is an integral part of Sikh
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
and is shouted at the end of ''
ardas,'' Sikh prayer and said in ''
sangat'' or holy congregation. The ''jaikara'' expresses the Sikh belief that all victory (
''jaya'' or ''jai'') belongs to God, ''
Waheguru
''Waheguru'' ( pa, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ, translit=vāhigurū, translit-std=IAST) is a word used in Sikhi to refer to God as described in ''Guru Granth Sahib''.
The meaning of the word (usually spelled in English as ''Waheguru'') is tradi ...
'', a belief that is also expressed in the Sikh salutation "''Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh''" ("Khalsa is of God and to God belongs the victory", or "Hail the Guru’s Khalsa! Hail the Guru’s victory!")
History
''Sat Sri Akal'' has been so used through the 300-year history of the Sikh people, since the creation of the
Khalsa
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
. In a normal situation, when two Sikhs meet they exchange greetings by saying "''Sat Sri Akal''". Although it is now the customary Sikh greeting, it does not have the sanction of history or orthodoxy. "''Wahiguru ji ka Khalsa Wahiguru ji ki Fateh''", the other salutation, is generally used only by people punctilious in the observance of proper form. Those addressing a Sikh religious congregation will, as a rule, greet the audience with the salutation, "''Wahiguru ji ka Khalsa Wahiguru ji ki Fateh''". "''
Sat Sri Akaal
Sat Sri Akaal (Gurumukhi ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ, ) is a '' Jaikara'' (lit. ''Call of Victory'') now used, often, as a greeting by Punjabi Sikhs. It is the second half of the ''Sikh Clarion call'', given by the Tenth guru, Guru Gobind ...
''" shouted in unison responding to the call "''bole so nihal''" is a call to action, or expression of ecstatic joy or an invocation for Divine aid or succour. While ''sat'' or ''sati'' (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
''satya'') means ‘true’, ‘good’, ‘abiding’, ‘real’ and ‘eternal’, ''sri'' is an
honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...
denoting beauty, glory, grace or majesty.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Sikhnet.com
Greeting words and phrases of India
Sikh terminology
Punjabi phrases