One of my Gurbani students made the following observation on Naam in Gurbani. Name is usually a Proper Noun....and given to us by our Parents/authority figure/etc. Since God doesnt have any parents/authority over Him...He has NO PROPER NOUN as a "Name" as we all do. All the "Names" of God...are Descriptive/adjectives/...attributes of Him...and given by his followers..
As such some call Him Raam..the All Permeating Lord....Rahim..the Giver...the Sustainer..The Beneficient..the Kind One..etc etc
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/23952-naam-and-name.html
These are called KIRTAM Names in Punajbi lingo.
In the light of this observation....my student observed that in Sukhmani ashtpadee 3..TERO NAO....Nirdhan ko tero Nao....usually translated as..To the POOR..wealth is YOUR NAME...to the shelterless..shelter is YOUR NAME...etc etc doesnt make sense.
The "NAME" as in the case of the POOR would be Someone who gives them WEALTH....a human donor.... Philanthropist.... like Bill Gates who follows GOD in his heart and wishes to donate his GOD given wealth among the POOR. This ACTION of Bill gates woudl be acting out God's
KIRTAM NAME as THE BENEFICIENT..the GIVER..the SUSTAINER....
Similarly whoever builds HOMES for the HOMELESS is follwiing Gods NAME as the Sustainer..builder..giver etc...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23952
SO NIrdhan KO DHan tero Naao means to a Poor man to be Given wealth is like "acting out" One of your Names....
NAAM should be WEALTH to ALL....why single out the POOR ONLY ?? Can the POOR survive ONLY on "Naam" ?? Dont the wealthy need such "Naam" ?? So to say ONLy the Nirdhan take your "Naam" as wealth is patronising translation...why wouldnt the welathy take it as "wealth" too ?? Since Gurbani is always correct..the transaltions interpretations must be faulty..
Comments from spn readers please...