Kesh Kakaar

As per Sikhism, a Singh is required to wear 5 Kakaars (5 Ks) which are:
1. Kesh
2. Kangha
3. Kachhera
4. Kirpan
5. Kara

Considering above as five Ks, let us discuss their importance, significance and relevance in today's times.

This thread is created for discussion of Kesh Kakaar specifically. Please discuss.

For Sikhs, Kesh i.e. Hair is the gift from God. The keeping of hair in its natural state is regarded as living in harmony with the will of God, and is a symbol of the Khalsa brotherhood and the Sikh faith. Hair is an integral part of the human body created by God and Sikhism call for its preservation. Sikhs live the way God made humans and never cut their hair. Guru Gobind Singh Ji instructed Sikh to wear Turban in order to protect their hair. Turban has many purposes and one is to keep a Sikh focused in his beliefs.

Personally, I feel much better wearing the crown with all respect to my body, treating it as a gift from the Ik Ong Kaar. Each pore on body as an energy channel.

I consider this human body as true temple or Gurudwara where their is possibility that Akal purakh will manifest himself in purest sense one day . So this body is closest manifestation of god to me and hair on this body grow naturally so it becomes duty of every body even nonsikh to respect this house of god with utmost care.While as asikh i do this by wearing a turban . sometimes i wonder that there are lot of people who are very nature loving whether religious or not dedicate their whole life in preservation of nature ( like plants and animals) but seems to ignore the closest manifestation of nature on their own body (hairs)

Commonly asked questions on Hair –

1) Is it okay to cut your hair and still pass yourself off as a Sikh? NO! You either are a Sikh or you aren't. There is no such thing as cut-Sikh, clean-shaven sikh.

2) Is it okay to wax or shave my legs or armpits? No.

3) Is it okay to bleach my facial hair or color my kesh? No.

4) Is it okay to trim my beard? No.

4) Electrolysis? No.

Bottom Line: Male and female Sikhs are not to permitted to cut their hair under any circumstances, except in cases of dire medical necessity where no other alternative is present.

prabhjyot ji

just a question whats wrong with applying hair color?

I'd say one word.....

Haumai (ego)

don't really see any other reason why hair needs to be coloured.

Dear GushK,

Please elaborate your connection of ego with hair color. I am unable to understand the connection.

Thanks.

Hmmm....
trying to think how to explain this, can't really think of anything elaborate since it seems quite simple to me.

Basically I see it as - Why do you want to colour your hair?
if it's just to make you look younger, then that's just catering to ego.

But actually thinking about it, this then raises the question of how far do you go with this rationale?
This reasoning then states that we shouldn't have have big houses, nice cars, designer clothes,
the list goes on to thus cover anything materialistic.....

I'm gonna need to think about this.

GushK said:

we shouldn't have have big houses, nice cars, designer clothes,
the list goes on to thus cover anything materialistic.....

Click to expand...

Answer doesnt seem to be that simple as you posed here. I can have all the things mentioned above, and may have no ego at all. Because, I may not even care if next day I am a pauper without any materialistic things.

I dont think it is appropriate to mix up materialistic things with ego. But perhaps you are talking from the point when people want to show down others by getting those better things. If yes, well, those are different things. And dont seem to suffice combining hair color with ego. I will wait for a suitable example from your side reinforcing your point.

Regards.

Yes, I defintily agree with you about not mixing materialistic things with ego, I was just thinking out loud

I suppose about the hair colouring....maybe because I'm young yet, I haven't really thought about it, or think thats its not really required. I've already decided that won't colour when I go grey. To me it would seem like an insecurity, that i'm trying to hide the fact that i'm getting older. That means i'm changing myself to suit what everyone else (or I) want to see myself as.

With Kesh being a Kakkar, I don't really feel comfortable, basically painting it, and hiding its true nature.

Question for you along these lines, If hair colouring was deemed ok, what about dying the kacchera a different colour then?

Yes, I defintily agree with you about not mixing materialistic things with ego, I was just thinking out loud

Click to expand...

okay, that s fine.

With Kesh being a Kakkar, I don't really feel comfortable, basically painting it, and hiding its true nature.

Click to expand...

Now that seems to be a good reason. Being truthful to oneself.

Question for you along these lines, If hair colouring was deemed ok, what about dying the kacchera a different colour then?

Click to expand...

Perhaps I gave impression that I am defending hair coloring, and I am in favour of coloring. Just to be clear, This is not the case. So let us get back to actual discussion without any inadvertent diversion.

Regards.

Prabjyot Kaur said:

Commonly asked questions on Hair –

1) Is it okay to cut your hair and still pass yourself off as a Sikh? NO! You either are a Sikh or you aren't. There is no such thing as cut-Sikh, clean-shaven sikh.

2) Is it okay to wax or shave my legs or armpits? No.

3) Is it okay to bleach my facial hair or color my kesh? No.

4) Is it okay to trim my beard? No.

4) Electrolysis? No.

Bottom Line: Male and female Sikhs are not to permitted to cut their hair under any circumstances, except in cases of dire medical necessity where no other alternative is present.

Click to expand...

Are you Guru Gobind? How are you allowed to make the rules, why is it OK to cut or lose hair in "dire medical necessity" and not in "dire social necessity"...and now suppose,

Doctors need to cut or shave some hair to perform surgery in order to save your life. Now suppose, We lived in 1984 in India, where you needed to cut your hair, to save your life.

What is the difference? How do you claim one is OK and the other is NOT?
I am certain you would call the ones who cut their hair in order to save their lives "cowards" in 1984, and ridicule them. But, when they cut their hair to save their lives and a doctor performs on them, its OK?

I'm sure Guru Gobind never said anything about it being OK to cut or shave your hair during a medicial procedure.

Kesh is relevent, it does not make you closer to God. It makes you Khalsa.
Whether you keep half of it, none of it, or all of it, its your choice. Your put in a situation and you think whats best to do.

Personally, I think Kesh is only head-hair and I have discussed this in the other thread before.

You can not be Khalsa without Kesh, and Khalsa is the essence of Sikhi.

Your "Bottom Line" just sounds a bit too fanatical.

We are entering into a dangerous zone by making Dogmas out of the Kakaars. In my understanding, Kakaars were bestowed on the individual for the self reminder of DO'S and DON'T, like 'Post-it notes' for constant reminder to remain on the path of GOODNESS FOR ALL AGAINST ALL ODDS.

Once they become dogmas as some 'cults' in Sikhi have tried to project them to be, then Sikhi becomes another ritualistic faith- like a rocking chair, always moving but getting nowhere.

It is also naive to judge that people who have taken Khandei ki Pahul are better than those who have not yet. Outer form has nothing to do with the quest for self enhancement. Khandei ki Pahul is a stripe on the shoulder of a Sant Sipahi, not a chip.

There is no such thing in Sikhi about who is the 'real sikh', 'true sikh' unreal or fake sikh. The name SIKH says it all which means a learner, a seeker. As long as we can breathe we are all sikhs at different milestones of our journey.

Tejwant.

dear Singh ji and Kaur ji

I would like to share what i think about this and i am also refering anand sahib

Bgqw kI cwl inrwlI ]
bhagtaa kee chaal niraalee.
The lifestyle of the devotees is unique and distinct.
cwlw inrwlI Bgqwh kyrI ibKm mwrig clxw ]
chaalaa niraalee bhagtaah kayree bikham maarag chalnaa.
The devotees’ lifestyle is unique and distinct; they follow the most difficult path.
lbu loBu AhMkwru qij iqRsnw bhuqu nwhI bolxw ]
lab lobh ahaNkaar taj tarisnaa bahut naahee bolnaa.
They renounce greed, avarice, egotism and desire; they do not talk too much.
KMinAhu iqKI vwlhu inkI eyqu mwrig jwxw ]
khanni-ahu tikhee vaalahu nikee ayt maarag jaanaa.
The path they take is sharper than a two-edged sword, and finer than a hair.
gur prswdI ijnI Awpu qijAw hir vwsnw smwxI ]
gur parsaadee jinee aap taji-aa har vaasnaa samaanee.
By Guru’s Grace, they shed their selfishness and conceit; their hopes are
merged in the Lord.
khY nwnku cwl Bgqw jughu jugu inrwlI ]14]
kahai naanak chaal bhagtaa jugahu jug niraalee. ||14||
Says Nanak, the lifestyle of the devotees, in each and every age, is unique and
distinct. ||14||

As guru ji has said path for devotee is very difficult and distinct
KMinAhu iqKI vwlhu inkI eyqu mwrig jwxw ]
khanni-ahu tikhee vaalahu nikee ayt maarag jaanaa.
The path they take is sharper than a two-edged sword, and finer than a hair.

And as i personally feel is when you dye your hair or remove your hair it is related to your expectations, hopes , desires out of your physical being and this shows very clearly that you consider your opinion , desires and expectation more important and more personal and different from your guru

gur parsaadee jinee aap taji-aa har vaasnaa samaanee.
By Guru’s Grace, they shed their selfishness and conceit; their hopes are
Merged in the Lord.

And What i think is when you find your self in such a situation where you think whether your guru this thing or that think . you can just think in yoiur mind how much you love your guru how important is he in your life

Take example of someone you love very much let it be your small kid and a situation arises before you to paint his/her room while he/she is away and it is your inability to contact him/ her but you personally think that he /she likes particular colour say blue in room (here using your rational) but suddenly the mother of child announces that the kid will never like blue colour and room should be left as it is, now you are in dilemma what to do you rational says it is blue but you doubt that and you are unable to contact the kid and also you don’t want to upset little kid when he/ she comes home

similar is situation of man is not contact with guru but still dont want to upset him either and there are few learned who has earned the grace of guru (like mother in example) who tell you that guru will never like that
so you are always in a fix what to do you are divided between your rational and love for guru and your rational can argue that how this saint or learned person new this it is not written in Guru Granth sahib .

But if your love is intense ad real you will never take chance even if you dont believe mother much you will wait for kid to come home and tell you what he wants and similar is our situation if we are in real love we have to wait till guru ji come and reside in us and till then our love for our guru will guide us .

About the 1984 as you mentioned whether people should cut their hair or not to escape death what i think is again same it just depend on the love the person carries for his guru whether he can give his life for that or not
There are many opinions
1) you can cut your hair for the situation and can again grow them after all is over
2) you can cut your hair for the situation and use this opportunity to get rid of them and never grow them again
3) if guru resides in you and you have realised him then their is no question of cutting it whether you live or die and many Sikhs has done this in our history

And i consider all situations equally good as you cant use your rational to generate love for Akal purakh in your heart so itall depend on situation and what you are

By saying all this i dont mean that i am very great sikh and can do any thing for sikhi but I just wanted to state actually how i think about it and just to mention I am also among those week peoples who use their rational more than the love for Akaal purakh but I always pray Akal purakh to give me blessing of his love so that I can become strong like other great Sikhs of our history

Originally Posted by GushK
Question for you along these lines, If hair colouring was deemed ok, what about dying the kacchera a different colour then?

Click to expand...

Is there anything wrong by wearing different color of kacchera? if so, can you please give your Gurmat reasons for that?

Thanks

Tejwant

Hey, I thought that was my question?

I don't really know either way, I've just never seen one a different colour and always made the assumption it was meant to white....

Going with that assumption, i posed it as a question, on if you change one, why not the other?

hope someone can enlighten me?

S|kH said:

Are you Guru Gobind? How are you allowed to make the rules, why is it OK to cut or lose hair in "dire medical necessity" and not in "dire social necessity"...and now suppose,

Doctors need to cut or shave some hair to perform surgery in order to save your life. Now suppose, We lived in 1984 in India, where you needed to cut your hair, to save your life.

What is the difference? How do you claim one is OK and the other is NOT?

Click to expand...

SIKH Virji,

Sorry for not being able to visit for few days and read your valuable input to this thread.

I am nobody to set these rules. I only shared what was the ‘Hukam’ of Panj Piyare. Being mother I did ‘pesh’ after C-section of my first baby. Only a person can decide whether it is dire circumstance for him/her to compromise his/her commitment; renew his/her commitment or not. Of course there are plenty of ‘rules’ that we break every day; it is only with Guru’s kirpa that we learn to live in His will; that is do not get tempted to alter the ‘bhanda’ anymore where we wish to keep the ‘Naam’.

A person, who begins to see His jot in all human beings will never ridicule anyone when they are not as strong in their faith as that person is. On the other side it is our duty towards fellow sikhs to let them know 'right' from 'wrong' without judging their actions or forcing our opinions on them.

Regards,

Prabjyot Kaur said:

Bottom Line: Male and female Sikhs are not to permitted to cut their hair under any circumstances, except in cases of dire medical necessity where no other alternative is present.

Click to expand...

Considering above as a personal choice what 'dire' stands for, different meanings may come up to define those circumstances. The blessed ones, who chose not to have any alternative (except for Bhana Man'na) to save their lives, instead of getting hair removed, preferred to have their skulls removed, got boiled, 'areya'n naal chiraye gaye' and so on...

I think, these kind of bottom lines are individual perception based ones. And for me, those are an indication of how strongly one is willing to move on the path.

Regards.

Prabjyot Kaur said:

it is only with Guru’s kirpa that we learn to live in His will; that is do not get tempted to alter the ‘bhanda’ anymore where we wish to keep the ‘Naam’.

A person, who begins to see His jot in all human beings will never ridicule anyone when they are not as strong in their faith as that person is.

Click to expand...

Haanji, I agree about first poiint.

Friends, Sikhi teaches us to be tolerant ones without any personal attacks. Let us practise this. Remember 'Sarbat Da Bhala'!

Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh !

You know every sikh has this question... what is the importance of hairs ?

GOD created this entire nature whether living or non-living world according
to HIS will.
The BEST part of this nature is, that MALE of every species is so beautiful and
attractive !! For example - LION is much beautiful than LIONESS, same is the case with {censored} and HEN and see the PEA{censored} and PEAHEN !! So, in natural state the MALE in itself is VERY ATTRACTIVE and VERY BEAUTIFUL than FEMALE in this nature.

HUMANs for their comfort cut hairs and it became common practise to SEE MALE as
clean shaven and cut hairs. But mind it they are NOT complete MALE as you would
not like a LION without its MANE and PEA{censored} without its feathers.

For me its the completeness in itself by keeping hairs, and we are blessed with this
GIFT.