Naam
Nāma (Sanskrit: नाम; nāma, "name") is a Sanskrit term meaning "name" or "appellation" and is used in a range of Indian religious and philosophical contexts. In devotional traditions, the term can refer to the name of a deity or to remembrance and invocation of the divine. The meaning and theological significance of Nāma vary among religious traditions.
Practices involving repetition, remembrance or invocation of a sacred name occur in several religious traditions. In Hindu traditions, the related practice of japa involves repetition of a mantra or divine name; in Sikhism, Naam Simran refers to remembrance of the divine Name; in Pure Land Buddhism, nianfo or nembutsu developed around remembrance or recitation of the Buddha's name; and in Islam, dhikr denotes remembrance or invocation of God. These practices have different theological meanings and should not be treated as equivalent merely because they involve repetition or remembrance.
The related term simran derives from Sanskrit smaraṇa, "remembrance", and in Sikh usage refers to remembrance of God, including through remembrance of the divine Name. The term therefore overlaps with practices of remembrance found in other traditions, while retaining a distinct meaning within Sikh theology and practice.
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