Five Ks: Encyclopedia - Five Ks

Five Ks

The Five Ks are five items Sikhs wear at all times either out of respect for the tenth teacher, Guru Gobind Singh, or out of a sense of religious devotion. The Five Ks are not merely symbols. Guru Gobind Singh Ji ordered his followers to wear the Five Ks so that they could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to others' spirituality. However, Sikhism recognises the concept of a multi-level approach to achieving one's target as a disciple of the faith as well. For example, “Sahajdhari” (slow adopters) are those who have not donned the full Five Ks but are Sikhs nonetheless.

Five Ks - Kesh uncut hair

A Sikh never cuts or trims any hair, to indicate the perfection of God's creation. The comb keeps the hair tidy, a symbol of not just accepting what God has given, but also an injunction to maintain it with grace.

There are many theories regarding why Sikhs keep the Kesh. Some believe that Kesh have a practical function for accessing spiritual energy. Others believe that the reasons to keep hair come from socio-political reasons at the time of founding of Khalsa Panth. Still others believe that Sikhs keep hair in reverence and as an expression of love for their Guru much like a married person would wear a wedding ring.

The basis of practical function theory is rooted in the belief that the body has energy centers. The one that is required to experience God is known as the Dasam Dawar (The Tenth Gate). This is located at the crown of the head and when the kesh is tied at the top of the head in a knot, the person's chance of experiencing God increases.

The hair is believed to increase the spiritual energy that one projects whilst meditating. It is notable that many holy men from various faiths, Jesus, Ram and Krishna, have their images with long hair.

At the time of founding of the Khalsa Panth, it is believed that Guru Gobind Singh made keeping unshorn hair, Kesh, mandatory for his followers to give them a unique and binding identity, something like a uniform in school. The fact that a Sikh could be recognized from among thousands meant that Guru's followers could no longer escape from trying circumstances calling on their duty.

Sikhs have suffered many persecutions, but have always fought to keep their hair. There have been stories of men having offered to have their skullcaps removed, rather than have their hair shaved at the hands of persecutors.

It has been asserted by some that the length of one's hair is linked to intelligence, health, spirituality and many other things.

Five Ks - Kangha comb

Kangha means comb. Sikhs use a small wooden comb because it can be worn easily in the hair all the time. Apart from its practical utility, a comb is considered a symbol of cleanliness. Just as a comb helps to remove the tangles and cleans the hair, similarly a Sikh is reminded to get rid of any impurities of thought by repeating 'NAAM' (God's name) in his mind.

Five Ks - Karra circular bracelet

Karra literally means a link or bondage. It is a special iron bracelet which is worn on the dominant hand's wrist. The Karra is the Guru's own symbolic ring to all his Sikhs signifying their unbreakable link or bond with the Guru as well as among themselves, belonging to the brotherhood of Khalsa. Also the circle is a symbol of restraint and in practice a constant reminder to the Sikh of ideal behavior in the event of weakness.

Five Ks - Kachera shorts

Kaccha is a pair of knee length shorts. This is special, slightly longer type of underwear and is symbolic of continence and a high moral character. Like breeches, Kaccha can be worn on their own without causing embarrassment. Thus it is quite useful in hot weather, swimming and sports activities.

Five Ks - Kirpan small sword

Kirpan comes from the word 'KIRPA' and 'AAN'. Kirpa means an act of kindness, a favour; and 'aan' means honour, respect, self-respect. It is an instrument which adds to self-respect and self-defence. Thus for Sikhs, Kirpan is the symbol of power and freedom of spirit. All baptised Sikhs should wear a short form of Kirpan (approx. 6" to 9" long) on their body. To call it a dagger or knife is rather insulting to this article of faith, which functions quite differently from the other two. The blade should be made of iron.

It is important to remember that a Sikh should never use the Kirpan in anger or for a malicious attack. However, a Sikh may use it in self-defence or to protect a person in need. Most Sikhs choose to learn the art of Gatka. This is a martial art devised by the Sikh Gurus' that uses circular movements to effectively swing a sword.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Five Ks", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki