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Kaam (Punjabi language: ਕਾਮ; Kāma) is one of the Five Thieves in Sikhism, described as excessive lust or desire.9788173803499, Punjabi University. ISBN 9788173803499 A devout Sikh is expected to be in control of Kaam at all times.
Kaam becomes a true evil when it begins interfering with one's marital life, such as leading a spouse to cheat on their partner under its influence. Sikhism condemns kaam which interferes with the spiritual journey and day-to-day life of an individual.
Guru Tegh Bahadur states the following on the issue of kaam:
The word refers to all desires but usually it is used in reference to desires which are sexual in-nature. Normal and healthy amounts of sexual lust and desire, such as between two married spouses, is not condemned in Sikhism but rather excessive amounts which interfere in one's spiritual journey is treated as both a vice and immoral.Harajindara Siṅgha Dilagīra (1997). 9780969596424, Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark. ISBN 9780969596424 Kaam is not looked upon as wholly a biological phenomenon but also as a learnt behaviour in-which one can be influenced negatively by others.
The Guru Granth Sahib offers the following commentary on the nature of Kaam:
Kaam is related and linked to lobh, another of the five thieves. (2025). 9781135797607, Routledge. ISBN 9781135797607 Whilst kaam is the extreme desire for sexual things, lobh, on the other hand is the disproportionately large desire or covetousness for material things.
Guru Gobind Singh gives the following piece of advice to his Sikhs:
Regarding the second way of sublimating kaam, Guru Gobind Singh makes the following remark the affirm this method:
The ideal relationship between the divine and devotee in Sikhism is envisioned as a soul-bride, in-which the devotee is a wife longing for her husband ( kant), which is God. This is a reoccurring theme that is repeated through the Sikh canon. The devotee is pained by the state of being separate from God and craves reunion with God. This procedure of complete devotion stifles the negative potentials of kaam and redirects its energy to spiritual progress for the individual.
Guru Arjan states on page 534 of the Guru Granth Sahib that a person who has truly fallen in love with God humbly seeks neither positions of power, authority, nor even spiritual liberation ( mukti).
However, certain schools and traditions of Hindu thought, such as the Yogi of the Samkhya school, practice the suppression of kaam as part of their beliefs and practices.
Sikhism's conceptualization of kaam/kama is analogous to those of the Sramanic traditions, such as Buddhism and Jainism. These traditions see kaam as a source for alarm. Therefore, they have prescribed celibacy and asceticism as methods for dealing with kaam. This differs from Sikhism, which does not advocate for the lifestyle of a celibate or ascetic.
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