Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The five passions still move within the house of the body — but here, the five have been made thoughtful and subdued.
O Nanak, without the True Guru they are not overcome; through the Name, the ego is conquered.
The closing verse gives the project's definitive image for a mastered inner life: the five passions — desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride — are not executed and dragged from the house. They still live there — panch varatday, the five still move about the body's home — but they have become veechaaree: reflective, well-behaved, servants where they were tyrants. Desire still rises, and serves love; anger still rises, and guards justice. This is Gurbani's realism about human architecture: the passions are permanent residents; the question is only who holds the keys. And the keys, says the last line, are won one way: the Name, before which the landlord of all five — haumai — surrenders.
Which of your five — desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride — is loudest, and what would it look like tamed to a servant?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI