Hinduism and Sikhism
Fenech states, "Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and the secondary canon, the Dasam Granth and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors".
[13][14] While the Guru Granth Sahib acknowledges the Vedas, Puranas and Qur'an,[15] it does not imply a syncretic bridge between Hinduism and Islam,[16] but emphasises focusing on Nitnem banis like Japji, instead of Muslim practices such as circumcision or praying by prostrating on the ground to God, or Hindu rituals such as wearing thread.
[20][21][22] While Guru Tegh Bahadur influence was rising, Aurangzeb had imposed Islamic laws, demolished Hindu schools and temples, and enforced new taxes on non-Muslims.
[29] Scholars state all deities are typically viewed in Hinduism as "emanations or manifestation of genderless principle called Brahman, representing the many facets of Ultimate Reality".
[30] The description of God in Sikhism is monotheistic and rejects the concept of divine incarnation as present in Hinduism.
[33] Under Sikh rule, cow slaughter was punishable by death; the prohibiton was maintained by even the British after the annexation of Punjab to placate Hindu-Sikh sentiments.
[34] Sikhs and Hindus traditionally held the cow as sacred due to their role in providing sustenance and haulage.
[35] Hindus accept the worship facilitated with images or murtis (idols),[36] particularly in Agamic traditions, such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism.
[38][39] Sikhism prohibits idol worship,[40][36] in accordance with mainstream Khalsa norms and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus,[41] a position that has been accepted as orthodox.
[42][43][44] The prohibition on idol worship is traceable in Sikhism since the early 20th century, a change led by the Tat Khalsa of the Singh Sabha Movement of late 19th-century.
[48] According to Karel Werner's Popular Dictionary of Hinduism, "most Hindu places of pilgrimage are associated with legendary events from the lives of various gods.
[48][50] According to a study pubslihed by Madanjit Kaur, there exists documentary proof in the form of vahis (ledgers maintained by genealogists and priests at various places of pilgrimage) that Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh and his widows visited various Hindu tirthas, appointed their family purohits to those sites, and directed their followers to honor the appointed purohits.
On the corresponding day, the descendants invite the Brahmin and feed them in memory of their parents and grandparents, in the belief that this will give some benefit to the soul of their dead ancestors.
[53] It is a common practice in Hinduism to perform or avoid activities like important religious ceremonies on the basis of the quality of a particular muhurta.
The first is the Brahmin (teacher or priest), the second is the Kshatriya (ruler or warrior), the third is the Vaishya (merchant or farmer) and the fourth is the Shudra (servant or labourer).
[64][65] While Sikhism treats lust as a sin, it at the same time points out that man must share the moral responsibility by leading the life of a householder.
Several texts, including Agama literature as well as the Yogashikha Upanishad, believe that menstruation is a physical reflection of the divine feminine, the shakti (creative/cosmic energy) that allows the creation of life.
Menstruating women in the Vedic period were relieved from their regular duties to rest and be served by their family members.
[79][80] Hindus wash off in the Ganges river (which is believed to be spiritually cleansing) directly following an eclipse to clean themselves.
Traditional teachings deal with the duties of individuals and families to maintain a lifestyle conducive to physical, mental and spiritual health.
These traditions share a culture and world view that includes ideas of karma and rebirth, collective versus individual identity, and a strong emphasis on spiritual purity.
[90][91] While organically related to Hinduism, with the religious philosophy of the Gurus showing both continuity with and reaction against earlier Hindu thought, the Sikh faith is a religion in its own right, with a strong sense of its own identity throughout its existence.
[95] Historically, Sikhs were seen as the protectors of Hindus, among others, and were even considered by some right-wing Hindu political organizations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as the "sword arm" of Hinduism.
