ਕਾਮੰ (kaamanǧ)
Meaning: noun: Lust, desire.
Quote:
ਹੇ ਕਾਮੰ ਨਰਕ ਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮੰ ਬਹੁ ਜੋਨੀ ਭ੍ਰਮਾਵਣਹ॥
he kaamanǧ narak bisraamanǧ bahu jonee bhramaavaṇah.
O Lust! You lead the mortals to hell (misery) and make them wander through many lives or in many ways. -Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 1358
Message: Lust and desire are interwoven. Lust is normally understood as strong sexual desire, but it can also imply an excessive want or desire for something.
If we allow free rein or development of this destructive emotion, we will be hankering for power, status, more wealth or sex. Our minds will be restless in a bid to fulfil our desires at all costs.
Lust is so powerful. It spares none, human or animal, holy or unholy. When lust enters the mind, it dominates our thinking and we lose the ability to discriminate between right and wrong.
For a momentary and shallow pleasure, lust causes us to be weak and unsteady. Even a little bit of carelessness can ‘bring us down to our knees’ socially and spiritually.
Though it serves a useful purpose for procreation (otherwise society will come to an end!), a person under the grip of excessive lust suffers in misery.
We need to protect ourselves from the unhealthy impact of its excessiveness and unethical use.
A consistent connection with the divine messages of Gurbani and spiritually motivating virtuous people (sadh sangat) are of great help and provide strong protection against excessive lust.
Etymology: From Sanskrit kaam → Pali kaam → Prakrit kaam → (wish, love, sexual love).
