Satnam - Truth is the Name
The eternal name of God is Truth. Living in alignment with truth connects us to the Divine.
Satnam teaches that truth is not merely a virtue but the very nature of God. When we live truthfully in thought, word, and deed, we align ourselves with the cosmic order and divine will.
Truth is high, but higher still is truthful living.
This teaching elevates ethical living above mere intellectual acknowledgment of truth.
Guru Granth Sahib
Written about in
- What Sikhism says about truth and lying
Satnam makes truth the divine name rather than a commandment — the claim is that reality itself is truthful, so lying puts you out of step with it. Nanak's phrasing ranks truthful living above truth, moving the whole question from what you assert to how you live.