Sat Sri Akaal (Gurumukhi ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ, ) is a '' Jaikara'' (lit. ''Call of Victory'') now used, often, as a greeting by
Punjabi Sikhs
Punjabi Sikhs are adherents of Sikhism who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Punjabis and are native of Undivided Punjab region of Indian Subcontinent. Sikhism is an Indigenous religion born and brought up in Punjab ...
. It is the second half of the ''Sikh Clarion call'', 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 ...
, "
Bole So Nihal
''Bole So Nihal'' ( pa, ਬੋਲੇ ਸੋ ਨਿਹਾਲ, meaning "Whoever utters, shall be fulfilled.") is a '' Jaikara'' or war cry or Clarion call'' of Sikhs given by the Tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Use
''Bole So Nihal... Sat Sri Aka ...
, Sat Sri Akal" (''Shout Aloud in Ecstasy. Truth is the Timeless One'').
Meaning
''Sat'' is Punjabi word , which means ''truth''. ''Sri'' is a
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 ...
used across various Indian languages. ''Akaal'' is made up of the Punjabi word ''Kal'', meaning ''time'', and the prefix ''a-'' which is used in various Indian languages as a way to make a word into its antonym, so ''Akal'' means ''timeless''.
Usage
Besides being the clarion call of Sikhism, the Jaikara has become an integral part of the Sikh liturgy and is spoken at the end of Ardas, the Sikh prayer in holy congregations.
The usage of Sat Shri Akaal as a greeting, although used by the majority of people who identify themselves as being Sikh, is regarded as incorrect usage by "Amritdhari aptizedSikhs. As the term is historically the second half of the Sikh war cry, "
Bole So Nihal
''Bole So Nihal'' ( pa, ਬੋਲੇ ਸੋ ਨਿਹਾਲ, meaning "Whoever utters, shall be fulfilled.") is a '' Jaikara'' or war cry or Clarion call'' of Sikhs given by the Tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Use
''Bole So Nihal... Sat Sri Aka ...
, Sat Shri Akal", and is still used in the same way. As per the
Sikh Rehat Maryada
The Sikh Rehit Maryada (Punjabi: ; also transcribed as Sikh Reht Maryada or Khalsa Rehat Maryada) is a code of conduct and conventions for Sikhism. The final version of the Rehat Maryada was approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ...
Sikh Regiment
The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Sikh regiment is the highest decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 82 ...
, and
Sikh Light Infantry
The Sikh Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army.Greeting words and phrases of India
Sikh terminology