Following is an extract taken from Sacha Guru by Giani Udham Singh. The book was written in Punjabi and the extract has been translated. Although the entire book is full of Gurmat knowledge and worth reading, the following passage really stuck out to me, which I thought would be worth sharing.
Translation Begins----------------
In Gurbani many names like Raam, Ishwar, Allah, Govind etc appear but word ‘Waheguru’ appears very seldom and mostly in Bhatt Sweayas. From this many start raising question on the power and superiority of gurmantar by saying that the Gurus did not mention such a word in their own bani and what makes it so special?
Naam is of two types: Jaati and Safaati. Jaati refers to name of the person while Safaati refers to his action, doing, character or praise. For example, take the name Kishan Singh Halvayee. While Kishan Singh is jaati name meaning his original name; Halvayee is his safaati name meaning it is his profession or something he does. If Kishan Singh starts another profession of say gold then his name would be Kishan Singh Suniara (goldsmith) or if he takes the profession of a clerk then his name would be Kishan Singh Clerk but the original name (Kishan Singh) would not change. Similarly, God’s name is Raam because He is omnipresent, Narayan because He is present in everyone’s heart, Govind because He dispels darkness (GO = darkness, Vind = Light), Gopal because He is the supporter of the earth so on and so forth. These words explain one character of God and praise Him in one aspect only. But there comes one instance when nothing remains and everything created gets absorbed back in God. Then God is not Raam, Govind, Gopal or Narayan anymore so all the kirtam names also vanish. But He is even then Waheguru because He remains Wondrous, glorious and source of the light (knowledge or gyan). Therefore, while all other names do not remain valid, only Waheguru remains valid.
Take another example of a faithful wife who praises her husband by saying that her husband is nice, smart, well-mannered, handsome, moral, ethical etc., she is describing one particular quality of her husband but if she says that her husband is full of virtues and complete then she is praising the husband in entirety, directly and fully. Such is the nature of word Waheguru. Waheguru Shabad is the source of all just like all canals and rivers submerge in the sea and all rays of light merge back in the sun, all the names merge back in Waheguru. Each kirtam or safaati name praises only one character of God while the word Waheguru is the original and praises God directly not just one character.
It is not to be concluded that meditating upon other names is wrong. One can definitely meditate upon other names but such action is not abhiyaas of gurmantar (practice of gurmantar). Guru Sahib has instructed Sikhs to practice gurmantar only. Since only Guru Sahib has the right to give this mantar to a disciple, it has been kept secret in Gurbani. Guru Sahib passed on this right to Panj Pyare. No one else has this right nor does anyone have the right to change it to “Wahegur” and “Wahguru” etc. A Sikh follows the instructions of Guru Sahib and he must practice this mantar only. Bhai Gurdas Ji explains its importance in one of his Kabits as follows:
One wanders to 68 pilgrimage and remains in meditation for for yugs on Kailash Mountain.
One spends countless lives hanging upside down and even burns his body in fire.
One performs one hundred thousand Asvmedh Yagg in Kurkshetra.
What one obtains from all this can be obtained by saying “Waheguru” just once.Translation Ends-------------------------
I apologize for poor translation. Guru Rakha
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥