Gaathaa, Salok 6 — the One's arrow and the five enemies
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In this Gaathaa, the story of the Lord of the World is woven together. Hearing it, pride is crushed.
Nanak says: the five enemies inside — selfish wanting, anger, greed, clinging and ego — are struck down by the arrow of the One.
Hearing the story of the One crushes pride and defeats the troublemakers inside us.
Gaathaa gunf gopaal kathan: the praise of the Lord of the World is woven into these verses like threads into cloth. Maan mardaneh: listening to it grinds pride down.
Panch satrayn are the five enemies: kaam (selfish wanting), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (clinging) and ahankaar (ego). They are not people. They live inside each of us. Har baanay, the arrow of the One, is the Word that strikes them down.
Which of the inner troublemakers tugs at you most, and what calms it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI