Sikh Religion and Hinduism G.S.Sidhu M.A.FIL(London) Published by:- Guru Nanak Charitable Trust 1 Contents Opinions ................................................................................................ 8 Acknowledgments ............................................................................... 15 Foreword ............................................................................................. 17 Introduction ......................................................................................... 20 Chapter 1 ............................................................................................. 25 Vedant ................................................................................................. 25 1.1 What is Vedant? ................................................................... 25 1.2 Historical developments ............................................................. 27 1.3 Sikh point of View ..................................................................... 31 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................. 36 The Vedas and Sikhism ........................................................................ 36 2.1 The Vedas .................................................................................. 36 2.2 The importance of the Vedas ...................................................... 38 2.3 The Rig Veda ............................................................................. 39 2.4 Contents of the Rig Veda ............................................................ 40 2.5 The ‗creation‘ according to Rig Veda ......................................... 42 2.6 Yajur Veda ................................................................................. 48 2.7 Contents of the Yajur Veda ........................................................ 50 2.8 Sam Veda ................................................................................... 53 2.9 Atherva Veda ............................................................................. 56 2.10 Contents of the Atherva Veda ................................................... 57 2.11 ―The Fifth Veda" ...................................................................... 58 (a) The Ramayana ....................................................................... 59 (b) The Mahabharta ...................................................................... 61 2 2.12 The Origin of the Vedas ........................................................... 65 2.13 Who is the real author of the Vedas? ......................................... 68 2.14 Are the Vedas sacred and infallible? ......................................... 70 2.15 Views of the Europeans ............................................................ 72 2.16 The Sikh View ......................................................................... 73 Chapter 3 ............................................................................................. 84 Hindu scripture VS. Sikh scripture ....................................................... 84 3.1 The Hindu scripture .................................................................... 84 3.2 The Simrtis................................................................................. 84 3.3 Manu Simrti ............................................................................... 87 3.4 The Puranas and Upnishads ........................................................ 92 3.5 Tantras ....................................................................................... 93 3.6 The Gaytry Mantra ..................................................................... 95 3.7 Importance of the Gaytry mantra ................................................ 97 3.8 Bhagvad Geeta and Gaytry ......................................................... 99 3.9 The Sikh View ........................................................................... 99 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................... 104 Images of God ................................................................................... 104 4.1 gods and goddesses .................................................................. 104 4.2 Some popular Hindu gods and goddesses.................................. 106 4.3 Dattatraya/Trimurti................................................................... 111 4.4 Brahma................................................................................. 114 4.5 Vishnu and Shiva ..................................................................... 115 4.6 Supremacy of Gods .................................................................. 116 4.7 Wars of the gods ...................................................................... 120 3 4.8 Sri Ram Chander ...................................................................... 121 4.9 Some facts about Sri Ram Chander ........................................... 126 4.10 Sri Krishna ............................................................................. 134 4.11 Some facts about Sri Krishna .................................................. 140 4.12 Krishna calls himself God ....................................................... 142 4.13 Ganesha ................................................................................. 145 4.14 Hanuman ................................................................................ 147 4.15 Sidhs and Naths ...................................................................... 148 4.16 Sexual morality ...................................................................... 149 4.17 The Sikh View ....................................................................... 157 Chapter 5 ........................................................................................... 167 Social Division .................................................................................. 167 5.1 The Caste System. .................................................................... 167 5.2 How did the caste distinctions start in India? ............................ 168 5.3 The untouchables/unapproachables ........................................... 172 (a) The Untouchables ........................................................... 172 (b) The unapproachables ...................................................... 172 (c) The unseeables ..................................................................... 173 5.4 Treatment of the Shudras .......................................................... 174 5.5 Caste and the Bhagvad Geeta.................................................... 175 5.6 In-equality and Hinduism ......................................................... 177 5.7 The Sikh View ......................................................................... 179 Chapter 6 ........................................................................................... 187 Debased humans ................................................................................ 187 6.1Women in Hinduism ................................................................. 187 4 6.2 Dev Dasis ................................................................................. 189 6.3 The History behind the custom of Sati ...................................... 192 6.4 Some prominent Sati cases ....................................................... 196 6.5 The Sikh view .......................................................................... 202 Chapter 7 ........................................................................................... 207 Dietary Habits .................................................................................... 207 7.1 Meat ......................................................................................... 207 7.2 Meat-eating in History: ......................................................... 211 7.3 Position in Independent India ............................................... 214 7.4 Sikh Point of View ................................................................... 215 Chapter 8 ........................................................................................... 217 Sikh Worship vs. Hindu worship ........................................................ 217 8.1 The object of worship ............................................................... 217 8.2 Sikh Worship ........................................................................... 219 Chapter 9 ........................................................................................... 222 Japuji and the Bhagvad Geeta ............................................................ 222 9.1 Ideology of Japuji and Geeta .................................................... 222 9.2 The Holy Bhagvad Geeta.......................................................... 222 9.3 Synopsis of the Holy Bhagvad Geeta ........................................ 223 9.4 The Holy Japuji ........................................................................ 227 9.5 Synopsis of the Holy Japuji ...................................................... 227 9.6 Comments ................................................................................ 229 Chapter 10 ......................................................................................... 241 Hindu Rituals ..................................................................................... 241 10.1 Janeu ...................................................................................... 241 5 10.2 Curses ...................................................................................