# Why Sikhs Wear A Naked Kara?



## Archived_member2 (Apr 18, 2005)

Pray Truth for all and say Satsriakal!
Dear Sadh Sangat Ji, I have a question.

Sikhs keep and wear five Kakaars. Those are namely 
Kangha (a comb),
Kachha (underwear), 
Kes (hair), 
Kirpan (a sword) and 
Kara (a bangle).

Kangha and Kes are covered with the turban. The pants or pyjamas are worn to cover the Kachha. The sword is also covered and kept in a sheath.

Only the Kara is not covered by anything. Why?

Please express your expertise.


Balbir Singh


----------



## Arvind (Apr 18, 2005)

Just my thoughts: If we look at actual baana, then only kesh (including kangha) are covered with a dastaar. We, in recent times, influenced by other world, started wearing pajama or pants. People hide kirpan just to avoid any conflict etc. Kara is anyway more near the wrist. Depends on who wear half or full sleaves, and Kara gets hidden. So somehow, I feel the question is invalid. But yes, I look forward to more views by other friends.

Regards, Arvind.


----------



## Archived_member2 (Apr 19, 2005)

Satsriakal to all and Arvind Ji!

This question is newly born. I could not find any invalidity in it up to now.

Perhaps we have not found any valid answer for this.


Balbir Singh


----------



## Arvind (Apr 19, 2005)

I respect your thoughts Balbir veer.
Pls keep on sharing.
Regards, Arvind.


----------



## Archived_member2 (Apr 21, 2005)

Pray Truth for all and say Satsriakal!

Let us try to approach a solution.

It is Guru's Mastee when He asks a question. For many it looks like an examination.

Only the true Guru watches His actions as God's Hukum.

The praise of Guru's suggestion is only possible after we accept it completely without any reasoning.

God's Hukum leaves us any other choice? Our ego always says, yes! I have the best one.

We may have Satsang again and over this graceful question in the future also.

For right now I remember the unforgettable incident of Bhai Lehna Ji's life when Guru Nanak Ji asked him to do something.

All others even Nanak Ji's sons had a reason to act or reject Will of God through The Great Guru.

There was only one whose existence did not have any blockages to let this Will go. This was Bhai Lehna Ji who immediately merged in God and emerged as Guru Angad Dev Ji.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave us a lot more than and through Jaap, Amrit and Kakaars.

Before giving us Amrit and Kakaars The Guru asked us a question "who is ready to die?"

Surprising is that we have found endless reasons to accept or to reject those.

Love.


Balbir Singh


----------



## Arvind (Apr 21, 2005)

Balbir ji,
My ignorance is not able to co-relate the incident you mentioned and the original question. Please help me out.
Thanks.


----------



## Sher Singh (Apr 21, 2005)

Balbir Singh said:
			
		

> Pray Truth for all and say Satsriakal!
> Dear Sadh Sangat Ji, I have a question.
> 
> Sikhs keep and wear five Kakaars. Those are namely
> ...



I think its like this. Keski and Kangha are weak, they can be break/rip, etc, and as a way to "protect" them we do this by covering them within a turban. Yes, the keski do come off when we comb them, but thats a natural process. As for the Kacchera, its covered becuase its made from cloth, and as we know cloth rips. Yes, what we wear over top of it made up of clothing as well, but the Kacchera is more of a religious symbol than pyjamas or pants. and as for the Kirpan, its covered because... well its a kirpan. its sharp, pointy, and it hurts when u cut/hurt yourself with one.

and finally the Kara. The reason the Kara isnt covered is because its made from metal. And as we know, metal is a hard force to break/destroy. It would take a lot longer to wrech a kara then it would against the kangha, kacchera, and keski. The kara itself has its own protection... its metal body/structure. So therefore, thats the reason a kara doesnt have a covering, theres no need for one.

Hope that helps.


----------



## Sher Singh (Apr 21, 2005)

hey Khoji Ji you've told us about the 5 k's, not why the kara is not covered. I dont want to sound rude, but Balbir Singh was askign why the kara isnt covered, not askign for what the 5 k's mean. Sorry again for any offence.


----------



## Archived_member2 (Apr 22, 2005)

Arvind said:
			
		

> Balbir ji,
> My ignorance is not able to co-relate the incident you mentioned and the original question. Please help me out.
> Thanks.



Satsriakal to all and Arvind Ji!

We have found many reasons to wear Kakaars. We have also a number of logical grounds for its material and the way to wear Kakaars.

Reasoning and logics are mind's activities. Those work as wall between Maya and God.

When will we accept The Guru's Will without interpreting it?

Accepting God's WILL completely destroys all curtains of Maya.

This is the way to know the Truth of Kakaars also.

Love.


Balbir Singh

----------

Satsriakal to all and Khoji Ji!

You wrote about Kara "If you cover it the reminder is lost."

My question is this. Why do we not loose the Reminder when we cover other Kakaars?


Balbir Singh


----------



## truthseeker (Apr 22, 2005)

Waheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguru ji ki fateh!

Srry to get off track a bit but someone had told me that we were always supposed to wear or kirpans on top of our clothes BUT we dont because in todays; society it is totaly unexceptable... is this true??
once again sprry for getting off topic.

Bhull Chuk Maaf

Waheguru ji ki khalsa Waheguru ji ki fateh!


----------



## Sher Singh (Apr 23, 2005)

i can see why it would be better to wear our kirpans outside, because it would simpler to get it out. But nowadays, there isnt much of a threat as to getting killed, etc. So i think thats why we Amritdhari Sikhs leave either our Kirpan outside our shirt or inside.

And no i dont think it was an off-topic question.
Also i just want to add that there is no such thing as a stupid question! (not saying that your question was stupid )


----------



## Archived_member2 (Apr 25, 2005)

Satsriakal to all and Khoji Ji!

Please have patience. Let the crop become ripen.

I have nothing to spare. All is Godly and to share.


Balbir Singh


----------



## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Aug 14, 2005)

Balbir Singh said:
			
		

> Satsriakal to all and Khoji Ji!
> 
> Please have patience. Let the crop become ripen.
> 
> ...


 
Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki Fateh.

Veer balbeer Singh Ji,

Its been a long time...since this query was put out by you...

Is the "crop ripe" or still a long way to go ?? .... to wait...

Love

jarnail Singh


----------



## Archived_member2 (Aug 14, 2005)

Pray Truth for all and say Satsriakal!
Veer gyani Jarnail Singh Ji!

Thanks for remembering me of the past. For a while I am completely engaged with the present.

God is in all. All is Godly. 

God is aware of all. He is all awareness.

But not all are aware of God. Rarely someone wakes up by God's Will and comes to know HIM.

--------------

All numbers are Godly. The number five has got the special sacred values in spirituality and the mayic world.

Among Sikhs five Shabads, five offered Pardhaan, five Kakaars, five Beloved and five Khands (stages) of spiritual developments from Japuji Sahib are few examples of it.

Dharam Khand, Gyan Khand, Saram Khand, Karam Khand and Sach Khand are five spiritual developments. A blessed being comes across those to know God with full conscious mind.

The true religion (Dharam) originates from the deep core of an individual as God's Will. All follow this religion anyway. Those may have any form or body in the cosmos. 
This Dharam is realized within by all.

Gyan Khand, Saram Khand and Sach Khand are also realized first within by an individual as in the case of Dharam Khand.

Others have no way to find out correctly the changes.  A person goes through in his conscious mind, of the above stages.

It is only Karam (activity) Khand (stage) which is exposed from an individual. The world comes to know an individual first from his activities. 

The five Kakaars of Sikhs are also the symbols of awareness of the five spiritual stages as mentioned in Japuji Sahib.

The four stages of the growth of conscious mind take place within. The four Kakaars are received but kept covered.

The symbol of Karam Khand, the Karaa (bangle), is worn in hand. We do most activities by the hand. Karam is the flow of energy toward the outer world. Karam once converted into action become exposed for the whole word. There is no way to hide Karam and its impact in the cosmos.   

This is one explanation why the Karaa (bangle) is not covered.

This is a wonderful topic. The Satsang may get very long. 

Let us have a pause for the other worldly needs.

Love.

Satsriakal.


Balbir Singh


----------



## Lee (Aug 15, 2005)

Balbir Singh said:
			
		

> Pray Truth for all and say Satsriakal!
> Dear Sadh Sangat Ji, I have a question.
> 
> Sikhs keep and wear five Kakaars. Those are namely
> ...



Personaly I think there are more mundane reasons, Kipran is always held in a sheath, have you ever seen  a sword that did not have a scabbard?

Kacha, well who goes out in underwear without covering up.

The Kara, well it is a bangle so if you wear long sleves it will get covered, if not it remians naked.  This is just common sense, I don't feel that there are any hidden or mystical reasons for this.

The real reason we wear the 5 k's has nothing to do with what each item symbolises, but more to do with obeying Gurus hukaman, in essance we wear them because Guru tells us to.

Cheers,

Lee.


----------



## muneet (Nov 27, 2005)

The issue was not wearing something and then covering it or uncovering it. Kakkaars are meant to be worn as part of the identity. The Kara is visible but the kacchha is not unless like Nihangs Singhs one wears nothing else besides a chola and kachaira. Hair on the beard are naked too and the kirpan becomes naked when it is to be used. What should be visible should be ones qualities and ones committment when one expresses his or her mind. Can you rise above and say that you dont need to be reminded ever here in after? If no then lets not waste time on frivolous doubts and get on with the task of seeking the ultimate goal of every human- Raj + Yog a balanced life which gets us across without rebirth!!


----------



## KulwantK (Oct 31, 2007)

Sat Nam, everyone.  It is an interesting observation, that the kara is not formally covered.  Of course, with the long sleeves, it may be, but even then, when the sleeve falls back on the arm, the kara becomes visible, and here I think we may have an anwer to your question.
We are to be reminded of doing only good works with our hands, and seeing the kara in plain view, uncovered, reminds us to always be remembering God's Name and Word.  It is a reminder that we are bound to God, 24/7.


----------

