Sikkhism:
As per Sikhism, the Five Thieves (Panj Dosh or Panj Vikar) are the five major weaknesses of the human personality at variance with its spiritual essence, and are known as "thieves" because they steal a person's common sense. These five thieves are kaam (lust),krodh (rage), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (conceit or ego). The actions of one's mind should be above, beyond and without interference from these five inner evils. It is the Sikh's duty not to subject his life to these five lusts of the mind. To live a life in devotion to Waheguru in positive spirits (Charhdi Kala) and in His mercy (hukam). To remember God in Naam Japo, engaged in community service (Sewa) and to practise the Five Virtues. By taking these positive steps, the Five Evils are overcome and rendered ineffective. By adopting this daily routine and discipline the person's actions become pure (nirmal) and rewarding to the soul and the negativity of the person is removed.
Vedic Texts:
The early Vedic literature bears no direct reference to the concept of 'five thieves'; the terms moh, kaa, krodh and ahamkar do occur in the Vedic texts, but they are not explicitly enumerated as a series of "thieves". However, each of these is separately condemned in various sections of The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. We observe that ascetic sages of both the Vedic and non-Vedic tradition propounded the philosophy of renunciation and the methods of sense-control.
Shreemadbhagwatgita:
In the Bhagvad Gita, the control of one's senses, as well as being imperturbable in the face of kama, moha, krodha and aham, are among the marked traits of the Shresta Vyakti (the Perfect Man) and Yogi (Knower). Many of the upanishads display an awareness of the evils like raga or passion, avidya or nescience, moha or delusion, and ahankara or egoity. These thieves are also mentioned and condemned in some of the post-Buddhistic Upanisads such as the Prasna, Svetasvatara, Aitareya, Isa and Mundaka. The last-named text refers to 'the sages whose defilements have been destroyed' (ksinadosah), although it does not enumerate the 'defilements'.
Buddhism:
The first two in the list of five hindrances, sensuous desire (kamacchanda) and ill will or malice, are the same as the first two in the list of five evils mentioned in the Sikh canon. Likewise, belief in a permanent individuality (satkayadrsti), sensual passion (kamaraga), ill will, conceit (mana) and nescience (avidya), included in the Buddhist list of ten fetters, are comparable to egotism, lust, wrath, pride and delusion or attachment of Sikh enumeration.
Jainism
The Jaina sources also contain details concerning evils and defilements. All the five evils of the Sikh list are found repeatedly mentioned in the sacred literature of Jainism. The Avasyakasutra has a list of eighteen sins which includes among others wrath (krodha), conceit, delusion (maya), greed, and ill will. The standard Jaina term for evil is 'dirt' or 'passion' (kasaya). The Dasavaikalikasutra states that four kasayas, viz. wrath, conceit, delusion and greed, cause rebirth. The Uttaradhyayanasutra mentions moha, trsna (synonym of kama) and lobha as the sources of sorrow.
The Yogasutra:
It has a list of five defilements or hindrances called panca-klesah. These are nescience (avidya), egoity (asmita), passion (raga), ill will (dvesa) and the will to live (abhinivesa). It should be pointed out here that avidya equals moha; asmita is identical with ahankara; raga is similar to kama; dvesa is not different from krodha; and abhinivesa belongs to the category of lobha understood as continuous desire for existence in sansa
Hinduism
The Bhagavad Gita mentions all the five evils although they are not all enumerated together at the same place as forming a pentad. The text mentions kama as lust and at one point it is identified with krodha. Besides kama and krodha which are called asuri (demonic) traits, the Bhagavad Gita mentions passion (raga), ill will, attachment, delusion, egoity, greed, conceit and nescience (ajnana), and employs terms such as papa, dosa and kalmasa for impurities or defilements. In one verse hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, wrath, harsh speech and nescience are described as demoniac qualities. Medieval Buddhist, Jainist, and Brahmanical authors of religious and philosophical works continued to discuss the meaning, nature and methods of eradicating the five and more evils. The Tantric adepts (siddhas) recommended rather radical techniques of combating the evil psychological forces, especially through the method of 'conquering passions through passions'. Reference may be made here to Tulasidasa who, in a series of quadriparti verses (chaupais) in his Ramacharitamanasa, acknowledges the universality of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mana and trsna which afflict not only men but also the gods.The evils are want,idleness,disease,ignorance and squalor
The five evils, lust, wrath, greed, attachment and egoity, flourish on the soil of the belief in one's individualized existence. By destroying the doctrine of one's own existence or the belief in one's individual reality, the sages (sant, sadh) cancel in one stroke, as it were, the entire catalogue of evils. Desire, anger, avarice, infatuation, egoism, passion, jealousy, hypocrisy, pride, deception, falsehood, violence, doubt, and nescience and other forms of depravity listed in the Guru Granth Sahib do not affect him who has overcome his own self and found his essence in God's reality. Liberation (mukti) means the extinction of all the evils headed by haumai.