In Gurbani, the human condition is described as burning under three interlocking afflictions — of mind, body, and worldly entanglement. Understanding them is the first step toward liberation.
ਆਧਿ (Āadhi) — Affliction of the Mind
The suffering that arises from within — anxiety, worry, restlessness, and the anguish of the antahkaran (inner faculty).
ਆਧਿ burns through fear of the future, grief over the past, and the relentless craving of desires unfulfilled. It is the fire the eye cannot see but the heart cannot escape.
In modern terms: mental illness, anxiety, depression — all fall under ਆਧਿ.ਵਿਆਧਿ (Viāadhi) — Affliction of the Body
The suffering of the physical form — disease, illness, pain, and the decay that the five elements are subject to.
The body composed of earth, water, fire, air, and ether is impermanent by nature. ਵਿਆਧਿ is the reminder built into our very flesh that this vessel is borrowed.
No matter how powerful, wealthy, or protected — no one escapes ਵਿਆਧਿ. It is the great equaliser.ਉਪਾਧਿ (Upādhi) — Affliction of Worldly Entanglement
The suffering born of ego, maya, and social life — conflicts, jealousy, injustice, and the disturbances created by living among others while still bound to haumai.
ਉਪਾਧਿ is the fire of circumstances and consequences — the trouble we attract, the strife we create, and the world's endless demands on our peace.
Unlike ਆਧਿ (inner) and ਵਿਆਧਿ (bodily), ਉਪਾਧਿ is the relational fire — it lives in the space between self and world.ਤ੍ਰਿਵਿਧ ਤਾਪ — Summary
ਆਧਿ (Āadhi · Mind)
Inner anxiety, worry, restlessness. The fire of mental suffering and unfulfilled desires.
ਵਿਆਧਿ (Viāadhi · Body)
Physical illness and disease. The impermanence of the material form.
ਉਪਾਧਿ (Upādhi · World)
Ego-born trouble and worldly conflict. The relational fire of maya and haumai.