Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There are five inner troublemakers that stir up a heart — wanting too much, flaring anger, grabbing greed, sticky clinging, and puffed-up pride. On my own they had the better of me. But with the teaching's kindness, I found I could calm the whole rowdy crowd of them.
This one says the noisy troublemakers inside us can be calmed by grace.
Maaray panch bikhaadee-aa — I have overcome the panch, the five troublemakers. The verse does not name them. Tradition knows them well: kaam, wanting too much; krodh, anger; lobh, greed; moh, clinging; and ahankaar, pride.
The verse says "conquered" and calls them an army. They are best seen as feelings inside us to calm and heal, not enemies to fight. The win is learning to steady our own impulses.
Think of a noisy classroom that goes quiet when a kind, calm teacher walks in. The key words are gur kirpaa tay — by the Guru's grace. The calming comes by grace, not by willpower alone.
Which of your inner troublemakers gets loudest — and what helps you calm it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI