VAHIGURU JI KA KHALSA VAHIGURU JI KI FATEH, form of Sikh salutation, was made current among the Sikhs by command of Guru Gobind Singh at the time of the manifestation of the Khalsa in 1699. The salutation used in the days of Guru Nanak was Sati Kartar (Hail the Creator, the Eternal). This is how he, according to the Puratan Janam Sakhi, his oldest biography, greeted those he met. Some accounts of his life, such as that by Hariji, mention other similar forms of greeting, one among those being Raja Ram Sati (Hail the Holy Creator !) In the hukamnamas or letters sent to sangats by the Gurus prior to Guru Gobind Singh`s time, the opening greeting used to be : Guru Sati (Hail the Eternal Lord !) which is only an inverted form of Satiguru.

VAIRAG, usually bairagor sometimes virag`in Punjabi, is derived from Sanskrit vairagya meaning "change or loss of colour, growing pale ; disgust, aversion, distaste for or loathing of ; freedom from all worldly desire, indifference to worldly objects or to life ; asceticism," or analysed as vi (prefix denoting disunion, separation, division)+rag (act of colouring or dyeing, colour, hue, tint, dye especially red colour, redness ; any feeling or passion especially love, affection or sympathy for ; vehement desire of, interest, joy, delight in; musical note, harmony, melody; loveliness, beauty). Simply stated, vairaghas been defined as a mental state or attitude implying "detachment from and indifference to all things that stimulate desire, arouse the passion and strengthen any of the other virtues or vices."