Ek Onkar

Mula Mantra of Sikhism:

Ek Onkar - The One Om - which is the Ultimate
Satnaam - Everlasting Strong and Virtuous Name (Existence)
Karta Purakh - The Creator Purusha
Akaal Murat - Eternal Form
Ajuni - without yoni (juni) - meaning without birth and death
Saibhan - sweh+bhang - sweh - self-illuminating; bhang - understanding
Gur Parsaad - Understood by the Grace of a True Guru

The One, who is Everlasting, Pure and Strong
The Creator of Everything, with Eternal Form
He is Unborn, Deathless and Self-illuminating
Only the true Guru provides his Understanding

Trying my hand at a Sanskrit rendering of this:

omkaram advitiyam sat purusham
avyayam ajam nityam shashvatam
svayambhu svayam jyoti
guru anugraha prasadam

(ajah nityah shashvatah is given in Bhagavad Gita 2.20)


My understanding of these words is thanks to Shri Jagadish Sharma who contributed the following on Quora. Thanks to Quora as well for giving the medium to provide this valuable knowledge. 

Word by Word given below is copied from: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-Sikh-phrase-%E2%80%9CIk-Onkar%E2%80%9D

ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ੴ सति नामु करता पुरखु निरभउ निरवैरु अकाल मूरति अजूनी सैभं गुर प्रसादि ॥
ik-oNkaar sat naam kartaa purakh nirbha-o nirvair akaal moorat ajoonee saibhaN gur parsaad.
One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru’s Grace ~

॥ ਜਪੁ ॥
॥ जपु ॥
jap.
Chant And Meditate:

ਆਦਿ ਸਚੁ ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਸਚੁ ॥
आदि सचु जुगादि सचु ॥
aad sach jugaad sach.
True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages.

ਹੈ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੋਸੀ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ॥੧॥
है भी सचु नानक होसी भी सचु ॥१॥

hai bhee sach naanak hosee bhee sach. ||1||
True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True. ||1||

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥

सोचै सोचि न होवई जे सोची लख वार ॥
sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar.
By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times.

ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥
चुपै चुप न होवई जे लाइ रहा लिव तार ॥
chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar.
By remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within.

ਭੁਖਿਆ ਭੁਖ ਨ ਉਤਰੀ ਜੇ ਬੰਨਾ ਪੁਰੀਆ ਭਾਰ ॥
भुखिआ भुख न उतरी जे बंना पुरीआ भार ॥
bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar.
The hunger of the hungry is not appeased, even by piling up loads of worldly goods.

ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
सहस सिआणपा लख होहि त इक न चलै नालि ॥
sahas si-aanpaa lakh hohi ta ik na chalai naal.
Hundreds of thousands of clever tricks, but not even one of them will go along with you in the end.

ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥
किव सचिआरा होईऐ किव कूड़ै तुटै पालि ॥
kiv sachi-aaraa ho-ee-ai kiv koorhai tutai paal.
So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away?

ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ਚਲਣਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥
हुकमि रजाई चलणा नानक लिखिआ नालि ॥१॥
hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa naanak likhi-aa naal. ||1||
O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will. ||1||

Ek onkaar

The methodology which I have followed is like this....

First I am giving the true meanings of individual words ....followed by the combined meanings which do evolve thereafter based on those meanings I have given the felt interpretations which are close to the true meanings but are limited by the true meanings of these words itself....

Ek....means..one... alone.

'O'.....You

(simultaneously also means)

Aum.....is a third Sambodhan..has no equivalent in English...nearest is.. Address....Like. .. first two Sambodhan (address) types are 'I' n 'You' and all other related words used for these. Third Sambodhan is when one as 'I' addresses oneself/himself as 'You'.

Aakaar.....meaning shape, body physical being/entity having physical dimensions like length, breadth, height, volume, area, solidity, density,visibility etc etc.

So ..

'Onkaar'......you the physical being with/having a body/shape.

Or

'Aumkaar'.....is made of Aum + Aakaar. It really means is, that one/you as 'I' are looking at oneself/himself/yourself from outside as a separate body/Aakaar and then addressing oneself/himself/ yourself as 'You'.....meaning one is addressing to himself/to withinself n not any outside person/body.

Sat.....Pure.....without impurities of any kind.....Your True self..... means what you with your true capabilities which actually are there in you and not what you yourself or others feel/think about you or the capabilities they think you have.

Naam....... अस्तित्व.....name.. means assigning naming ..finding knowing...recognising...accepting ....understanding ... to an existence...etc For example water exists by itself but when it has turned into a flow we name it as Gaga. So one exists as a person but is called by a name.

Karta.....responder....actioner. ....worker...doer... करने कमाने वाला

Purukh....purush. .. . Person..

Nirbhaey. .....without/beyond /without hesitation or fear....

Nirvaeh...... going around doing self social n personal/self life functions of survival.....as well as....peaceful, tolerant, helpful, care, supporting etc etc interaction with others etc

Akaal....meaning.....having or judging ability of finding or becoming aware of the time/period of existence of (your) life span you'll have or are going to have.

Moorat. .....means imaginative statue/ view/ construct. मूरत मन के विचार से, दर्शन से उत्पन्न होती है, बनाई जाती है इमैजिनेशन से l

Ajuuni......without juuni (another life)...meaning you will not pass thru another Yoni (juuni) or take birth. and even if you do you have no means to know n establish that fact fully ie you will take rebirth.

Sweh/swaha....means both self n also disintegration/death/ destruction n then spreading out into the environment/universe.

Bhung/Bhanj.....Understand ....samajh (verb)....maan (accept)

Gur..aya..guru.se.... from teacher another meaning is of being enlightened/knowledgeable /aware of things (positive) related to environment, relationships, health (body) n mind (peaceful n stressless)

Prasad....gains like happiness n things you/one receive n enjoys in this world...

Jap/Jup....means contemplate....plan...make effort to achieve.

Now the combined meaning of this above mentioned portion of Mantar is....

Hey man(Purush - human being,not differentiated by Male or Female or transmission forms) You (Onkaar) understand (this clearly) the truth that you must understand is that, you are alone n only one by yourself (ek) in existence (name) n have one (ek) life (not get another life/birth - ajuuni) lifespan (period) of which you don't/will not/can not know (akaal) nor should you (try waste effort/time) be/by imagining (the period n then living in fear for it or worrying due to it ie death or dying) after which/that you will die n disintegrate (sweh/swaha); so contemplate, plan n make effort (Jap), and respond (live your whatever life/living moments) in/with knowledge n awareness, to achieve in your life all fruitful n enjoyable moments (Gurprasaad) while conducting day to day or moment to moment transactions of life with self n with fellow-beings (Nirveh) without fear (Nirbhaey ho kar). (only then you will live a true enjoyable and happy life).

NEXT.....

Aadi/Aadh....The event of/signifying the Beginning

Jugaadi/jugaadh.....The Time/Period since The Event Beginning.

Sach.....is a Fact

Hai Ve....the present is also there....it is there happening...

Nanak....

Hosi.....the happening to take place in future.

This Mantar means that the fact is 'The beginning' happened n since then 'the Time-a Period' has passed (with many happennungs) also 'The Present' is happening n so will 'the happennungs' will take place in future and all this is a fact....and will remain such....so accept that n there is no need to think much about these specially when it leads you to imagine or create my fears in n around you which will hinder your happiness n good life.

Sochiey. . By thinking (just by)

Soch.....na hoviey.....what you think does not happen. (Doesn't materialise) .

Jo......if

Sochey. .....just by thinking

Lakh vaar....100000 times.

Just by thinking 100000 times...whatever one may be thinking does not happen or materialise. You have to work to make it happen.

Chupiey ...by keeping quiet (silent)

Chup .... Peace, silence or Meditation.

na hoviey ... not possible, doesn't happen.

Jo lagey rahey ........continue to try

liv taar. ..... for very long n deep

By just endless n deep thinking or meditation peace or peace of mind / happiness is not/can not be attained.

Bhukhi-aa. .....hungry person

Bhukh......hunger

Na utree.....not satiated.

Jay.......if

Banney/bane. .....are made or by making

Puree...... Roti

Abhaar/apaaar..... unlimited..

A hungry man's hunger will not be satiated by simply making unlimited purees (unless he eats)

Sahas Siaanpaa.....over smart or shortcut ideas or tricks

Lakh.......100000

Hoiee.....try

Ta.... even then

Ek.....even one

Na chalai naal....will not succeed,will not work

(In life's dealings with self and others) ideas with shortcuts n over smartness will not/can not work/succeed. (will ultimately bring pain n unhappiness).

Kiv/Kivein..... how to

Sachiyara. .... the real thing, fact, the truth, the right n the correct

Hoviey......To know/achieve/ gain/reach/to do

Koorhai/khud-hai . ...self made

Tutai. ... get removed or get broken

Paal...... illusion, cover of fear

(Then) how to remove the self made illusions n reach the truthful reality n right thing?

Hukam..... order, demand

Rajah hi..... Rular king...here it is you, your body……….. survival of self you body n living of whose/which is of concern and is in focus.

Chalnaa. ..... have to agree to (your body’s demand if you want to live peacefully n survive), fulfill, accept or obey.

Nanak likhi-aa naal...

So the crux is

you alone as one being (body) with a name must live your own life, an enlightened aware life, in awareness, truely, peacefully, with caring, with compassion, helping other beings n thus honestly interacting with fellow beings and that too enjoying it while helping n getting helped, without fear of all that unknown as well as the physical n imaginary fears you may and/or likely to generate for yourself alone or collectively with other fellow-beings including the fear of your own lifespan. Avoid making and ignoring those fears by awareness n knowledge n listening to n following the demands of your body in a just simple, adequate, real manner. This will alone give you a happy n satisfied life. Real Happiness n Inner Peace.

This interpretation is not my/an opinion, but is solely based on the true meanings which evolve from the words itself, n not on any assumptions of God n related aspects. Somehow most of us have fallen prey to the persons who play religious politics to further their own selfish ends by fooling innocent n gullible masses by exploiting their fear of unknown, other fears, simplicity, lack of knowledge, blind faiths, etc etc....

My understanding of the words in the translation given at the beginning is thanks to Shri Jagadish Sharma who contributed the above article on Quora. Thanks to Quora as well for giving the medium to provide this valuable knowledge. 

Word by Word given below is copied from: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-Sikh-phrase-%E2%80%9CIk-Onkar%E2%80%9D