Item 2 in Three Pillars of Sikh Practice

Kirat Karni — Earn an Honest Living

Support oneself through honest and responsible work rather than exploitation or deception.

Position
2
Form
Positive duty or instruction
Obligation
Strong duty
Wording status
Editorial paraphrase
Intended audience
Sikhs and students of Sikh ethics
Last reviewed
28 June 2026

Names and terminology

Canonical name: Kirat Karni — Earn an Honest Living

Original term: Kirat Karni

Source wording

Editorial paraphrase: Support oneself through honest and responsible work rather than exploitation or deception.

Editorial paraphrase

Literal meaning

Support oneself through honest and responsible work rather than exploitation or deception.

Broader interpretation

Interpretation depends on the framework's historical purpose, intended audience and relationship to its other principles.

Ethical purpose

To shape conduct or character in a way consistent with the wider ethical framework.

Modern application

Modern application requires attention to consent, rights, evidence, foreseeable harm and changing social conditions.

Criticism and difficult cases

Application can become difficult when this principle conflicts with another duty, when harm is indirect, or when ancient social assumptions do not fit modern conditions.

Truth By Reason analysis

Truth By Reason assesses this principle according to evidence, rights, intentions, foreseeable consequences and consistency with the treatment of all affected beings.

Ethical themes

  • Justice
  • Social responsibility
  • Honesty

Sources