The Five Ks

The articles

Kes is uncut hair, kept from birth and covered, for men usually by a turban. Kangha is a small wooden comb worn in the hair, for grooming and for order. Kara is a steel bracelet worn on the wrist. Kachhehra is a specific undergarment. Kirpan is a sword or dagger, worn on a strap.

All five are worn at all times by initiated Sikhs, and are not removed for sleep or bathing.

Meanings

The tradition gives readings for each, though it treats them primarily as a discipline of obedience rather than as symbols to be decoded. Uncut hair accepts the body as given and marks the wearer publicly; the comb sets grooming and order against ascetic neglect; the steel bracelet is a reminder of restraint and of unbreakable attachment to the Guru; the undergarment stands for chastity and for readiness; the sword stands for the duty to defend the weak.

The public visibility is part of the purpose. Guru Gobind Singh is recorded as intending that a Sikh should be identifiable in a crowd of thousands, which in a period of persecution made concealment impossible and commitment irrevocable.

The kirpan in practice

The kirpan has generated recurring legal questions in India and in the diaspora, where laws on carrying blades meet a religious obligation. Indian law exempts it explicitly; several other jurisdictions have granted accommodations after litigation, generally on the basis that it is an article of faith rather than a weapon carried for use. The disputes have been among the most visible points of contact between Sikh practice and non-Sikh legal systems.