PANJ CHOR - 5 Evils / 5 Thieves
Five evils or five vices also known by the name of Panj chor (five theives) or panj vikar are the 5 major weaknesses present in a human being. These five negative traits grouped together are known as PANJ CHOR, that bring great misery & pain in our life. The five evils are -
- Kaam (Lust)
- Krodh (Anger)
- Lobh (Greed)
- Moh ( Emotional Attachment)
- Ahankar (Pride)
Guru Granth Sahib Ji/Ang 600, states that :
Within this body dwell the five thieves : sexual desire, anger, greed, emotional attachment and egotism. They plunder the nectar, but the self-willed manmukh does not realize it; no one hears his complaint.
THE 5 INNER THIEVES
Kaam means lust/sexual desire, Krodh means rage/anger, Lobh means materialistic greed, Moh means emotional attachment & Ahankaar means pride/ego/self importance. So what do these 5 evils or panj chor do ? These 5 theives are the reasons behind a human being's suffering. These evils steal away the amrit/divine essence but the manmukh (one who listens to the mind) does not realizes it and continues to suffer. If one wants to live a life without pain, misery & suffering, then a being must eradicate these five evils from his/her persona.
Five thieves are also known by some other names like "Panj Vikar", "Panj Chor", "Five vices", "Panj Doot" or "Five evils". These five companions are the mental impurities or inner garbage of a man's mind. These are the negative traits of a human being's personality and they bring down a human to an animal's nature.
Gurbani (GGSJ, Ang 135) says - ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਤੇ ਭੁਲਿਆਂ ਵਿਆਪਨਿ ਸਭੇ ਰੋਗ ॥ Paramaesar Te Bhuliaan Viaapan Sabhe Rog
"Forgetting God, all sorts of illnesses are contracted"
When we forget our True nature (Jot Saroop), all these evils come and stick to our negative mind and create delusion, misunderstanding and suffering.
WHAT GURBANI TELLS US ABOUT PANJ CHOR/FIVE EVILS ?
Let us have some more deep insights, what does Gurbani tells us about these 5 evils and how to overcome them !
1) MESSAGE OF GURBANI ABOUT KAAM/LUST
Kaam means strong desire, lust or uncontrolled passion for sexual pleasures. It is derived from the sanskrit word "kama", and is counted as one of the five cardinal vices in Sikhism. Let us have a look at what Gurbani says about kaam/lust.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 1013) says - "With bowl in hand, wearing his patched coat, great desires well up in his mind. Abandoning his own wife, he is engrossed in sexual desire; his thoughts are on the wives of others"
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 1189) says - " Painful diseases afflict those who are sexually promiscuous".
Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Asa (GGSJ, Ang 403) says - "For a moment of sexual pleasure, you shall suffer in pain for millions of days. For an instant, you may savor pleasure, but afterwards, you shall regret it, again and again"
Bhagat Beni Ji (GGSJ, Ang 93) says - " You are overflowing with sexual desire, and your intellect is stained with darkness; you are held in the grip of Shakti's power"
2) MESSAGE OF GURBANI ABOUT KRODH/ANGER
In English, Krodh means uncontrolled anger or rage. Krodh is a state of mind which finds expression in various forms from silent sullenness to screaming, hitting & voilence. It is one of the five evils found within the human personality. Krodh/anger is a descendant of kaam/desire. Anger can be caused by a lot of reasons like worrying too much, supressed feelings, insult done by someone else or any past memories of traumatic events.
Let us read what Guru Granth Sahib Ji says about krodh/anger -
Guru Ramdas Ji (GGSJ, Ang 40) says - "Do not meet with, or even approach those people, whose hearts are filled with horrible anger ||3||
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 932) says - " Unfulfilled sexual desire and unresolved anger waste the body away, As gold is dissolved by borax."
Bhagat Fareed Ji (GGSJ, Ang 1381-1382) says - "Fareed, answer evil with goodness; do not fill your mind with anger. Your body shall not suffer from any disease, and you shall obtain everything."
3) MESSAGE OF GURBANI ABOUT LOBH/GREED
Let us have a look at few shabads from Gurbani that throw some light on this evil !
Guru Amardas Ji (GGSJ, Ang 1062) quotes - "With greed within them, their minds are filthy, and they spread filth around. They do filthy deeds, and suffer in pain."
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 15) says - "Greed is a dog; falsehood is a filthy street-sweeper. Cheating is eating a rotting carcass."
4) MESSAGE OF GURBANI ABOUT MOH/ATTACHMENT
Moh means attachment to relations & materialistic things. This is one of the five evils as mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Here are some shabads from Gurbani that clarify the negative effect of this evil on a human's personality and how moh/attachment is the cause for one's repeated birth & death !
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 12) says - "In the swamp of emotional attachment, their feet cannot move. I have seen them drowning there."
Guru Arjan Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 206) says - "You cannot escape to the heavens, or to the nether regions, If you are entangled in emotional attachment and the net of Maya."
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 356) says that -" In this attachment, people are reincarnated over and over again."
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 356) says that - "Your attachment to your family, your attachment to all your affairs - renounce all your attachments, for they all are corrupt."
5) MESSAGE OF GURBANI ABOUT AHANKAR
Ahankar means excessive pride or ego. Pride could be over material wealth, power, talent, intellect, beauty and other possessions. Ahankar is the worst amongst the other cardinal evils as it can lead to feeling of jealousy, enmity and self centredness. A person full of ahankar/pride will always consider himself/herself as more superior in comparison to others.
Here are some shabads from Gurbani that tell us about ahankar /pride !
Guru Ramdas ji (GGSJ, Ang 141) says - "Renounce selfishness, conceit and arrogant pride, and your love for your children and spouse. Abandon your thirsty hopes and desires, and embrace love for the Lord."
HOW TO OVERCOME KAAM, KRODH, LOBH, MOH, AHANKAR ?
We have read that what Gurbani says about the panj chor - kaam, krodh, lobh, moh & ahankar. But the bigger question is how to overcome these 5 evils ? Taking few gurbani quotes from Guru Granth Sahib Ji, let us have a look on the following three ways to overcome/eradicate these five evils.
1) SIMRAN
Simran or constant rememberance of the God is the easiest & ultimate way to get rid of these five evils. When a devotee does all the mundane tasks of life but keeps his mind fixed on the God at all times (ie-Simran), these 5 evils cannot touch such a person. Such a person who has surrendered himself to the almighty God is free from all types of desires, pleasures & pain, attachments, praise & slander and pride. By constantly meditating or remembering God, the filth of the mind is washed away and it becomes pure. According to Gurbani, Guru Ramdas ji (Ang 1201) explains that how meditation on the God's name removes away the sins, pain, diseases & the 5 evils from a person.
Guru Ramdas ji (GGSJ, Ang 1201) quotes - "O my mind, meditate on the Lord, the Lord, your Lord and Master. The Lord is the Most Divine of all the divine beings. Chant the Name of the Lord, Raam, Raam, the Lord, my most Dear Beloved.||1||Pause|| That household, in which the Glorious Praises of the Lord are sung, in which the Glorious Praises of the Lord are sung, in which His Glorious Praises are sung, where the Panch Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds, resound - great is the destiny written on the forehead. All the sins of that humble being are taken away, all the pains are taken away, all diseases are taken away; sexual desire, anger, greed, attachment and egotistical pride are taken away. The Lord drives the five thieves out of such a person of the Lord. Chant the Name of the Lord, O Holy Saints of the Lord; meditate on the Lord of the Universe, O Holy people of the Lord. Meditate in thought, word and deed on the Lord, Har, Har. Worship and adore the Lord, O Holy people of the Lord.
2) SEWA
Sewa means voluntary service or doing service without any selfish interest. The concept of sewa is very clear & straightforward that how can we help others without even thinking of any personal gain. Providing food, clothes & shelter to the homeless, keeping drinking water for the birds in a pot, cooking, serving meals & washing dishes at the Gurudwara's langar hall, keeping Gurudwara complex clean by sweeping, cleaning footwear of sangat at joda ghar, all these acts hold great value and are voluntary in nature.
Following quotes from Guru Granth Sahib Ji tell us about the importance of Sewa -
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 728) quotes - "Wash the vessel, sit down and anoint it with fragrance; then, go out and get the milk. Add the rennet of clear consciousness to the milk of good deeds, and then, free of desire, let it curdle. ||1||
Guru Arjan Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 286) quotes - "One who performs selfless service, without thought of reward, Shall attain his Lord and Master."
Guru Nanak Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 25) says that - "You shall find peace, doing seva (selfless service)"
Doing sewa & constantly remembering God (simran) are like two wings of a bird, without any one of them the bird will not be able to fly. Sewa & Simran, both are important for spiritual progress of the devotee.
3) SADH SANGAT OR HOLY CONGREGATION
Sadh Sangat means the congregation of the saints/gurmukhs/enlightened beings. One can overcome these five evils- kaam, krodh, lobh, moh, ahankar by taking refuge in the company of saints. But how to find saints ? Guru Nanak Dev ji (GGSJ, Ang 72) says that - "How is the Society of the Saints to be known? There, the Name of the One Lord is chanted." Sadh Sangat or satsang is sachkhand itself where a group of people come sincerely to meditate, under the protection of saints. Going to satsang daily helps a person in conquering the evil properties of mind and one develops humility (nimarta) which is one of the five virtues promoted in Gurbani.
Sikh Gurus explain the importance of Sadh Sangat as -
Guru Ramdas Ji (GGSJ, Ang 10) quotes - " Obtaining the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, they are satisfied; joining the Sangat, the Blessed Congregation, their virtues shine forth. ||2|| "
Guru Arjan Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 266) quotes - "If someone is seeking the four Padarath i.e. substances, he should engage in the service of Saints"
Guru Arjan Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 810) quotes - "The five thieves run away, when one joins the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy"
Guru Arjan Dev Ji (GGSJ, Ang 811) quotes - " Dwelling in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, all sins are erased. One who is attuned to the Love of God, is not cast into the womb of reincarnation. ||1|| "
From all the above taken references from Gurbani, it is clear that one needs to do sewa, simran (meditation) & attend sadh sangat (spiritual congregation) daily so that the five evils can be eradicated and five virtues - sat, santokh, daya, nimarta, pyaar can be developed in our mind. Some people also ask "how many days to do simran & seva" ? Let me tell you this is a life long process and we should not stop pursuing it. Mere reading or gaining knowledge on these five evils will not lead anybody to God-realization. One has to make a very serious effort to understand what scriptures are saying and then apply these sayings into practice in our daily lives.
