Should the 5 Ks be kept with you during sleep and head covered during sleep?
When Guru Gobind Singh Ji stood in front of the ocean of Sikhs holding the mighty curved sri sahib above his head asking for a head, he created an army called the Khalsa. Khalsa Akal Purakh Kee Fauj.
But this army of khalsa soldiers was not merely fighting the battle against Moghuls, Hill Rajas and thieves and bandits. These Khalsa warriors had the more important life of death struggle against the 5 enemies inside them to fight as well.
Every army has its code of conduct, reporting structure and uniform. All these items maintain discipline within each warrior and unite each individual with one another into an army. Like one finger is weak, but a 4 fingers and a thumb combine into a fist.
The external uniform is the 5Ks and a covered head, if every Khalsa soldier wears the same uniform then they are united like a fist. A soldier in any other army will go to his bed at night and remove his uniform. His daily external battle is over, he can relax for the night.
The Khalsa warrior on the other hand has no time to rest. The 5 enemies never sleep, they dont allow the Khalsa warrior the luxury of relaxing for the night and then resuming the battle at sunrise.
If the 5 enemies don’t get tired of attacking us, then the Khalsa doesn’t get tired of fighting them. I can’t be in the warrior frame of mind if I’m not wearing my Khalsa Uniform. My discipline has gone, my defences are down, the front door is open for the 5 enemies to conquer me in my dreams and in my bed.
ਵਿਸਰ੠ਨਾਹੀ ਦਾਤਾਰ ਆਪਣਾ ਨਾਮ੠ਦੇਹ੠॥
ਗà©à¨£ ਗਾਵਾ ਦਿਨ੠ਰਾਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਚਾਉ à¨à¨¹à© ॥੮॥੨॥੫॥੧੬॥
“Never Forget me O Great Giver – Give me your Naam.
May I sing your praises day and NIGHT this is Nanak’s desire.”
(SGGS – Ang 762)
Being Khalsa is not a day job – it’s my life, every moment I am tested… night and day I have to think did I remember Naam or did the 5 enemies get the better of me?
So it is not acceptable for a Khalsa warrior to let their defences down by removing the 5K uniform and uncovering their head at night.