SIMRAN
Simran has been derived from the Prakrit, Apbhransh ‘Smar’ and Sanskrit word ‘Smaranm’, literally: to remember.
In Sikhism, Simran means contemplation, remembering God’s Name. A Sikh must always have God in his mind. It is ever-presence of God in our heart. God is always inside us, near us, in front of us; and, He is a part of our being.
In Sikhism, Simran does not mean just recitation of the name (or one of the names) of God, but it means that while doing any (and in fact every) activity, a Sikh must always have ‘noble fear’ of God.
Truthful-living, performing acts of social welfare and humanism are also, in a way, Simran of God.
In Sikhism, Simran is not a ritual.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)