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The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy text of Sikhs. Several of the shabads (hymns) from the Guru Granth Sahib address the role of women in Indian and Sikh society. [1]
In this Shabad, the Guru expresses the importance of women. It begins with the line "From a woman, a man is born" to emphasise that all men and women come from a woman. This theme then continues with the Guru highlighting, in a logical sequence, the various stages of life where the importance of woman is noted – "within woman, man is conceived," and then, " he is engaged and married" to a woman who becomes his friend, partner, and the source for future generations. This Shabad shows that, throughout man's life, he is dependent on woman at every critical stage.
The Shabad continues, "When his woman dies, he seeks another woman" – so if his wife dies, a man feels the compulsion to find another women still. In the final lines, the Guru asks: "So why call her bad?" – when even kings are born from a female mother as are other women themselves. The Guru then conclude that "without woman – there would be no one at all". This leaves no doubt for the Guru that the female gender plays a critical part in every aspect of a man's life, someone who is there in one shape or form throughout life and also is critical for the survival of the human race and the very existence of humans to begin with. In this Shabad, the Guru outlines the importance, magnitude, and value of women, in very simple terms, and shows what a significant role they play in propagation of the species as well as multiple other roles. This Shabad is mainly aimed at the culture of that time which consistently put women as below men, as such this type of thinking was to encourage the men of those times to view women more equally. However, this hymn remains pertinent today due to the subjugation of women in many cultures.
From woman, man is born;
within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.
Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.
When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.
So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.— Guru Nanak, Raag Aasaa Mehal 1, Ang 473
Bhai Gurdas Vaaran is also recommended to Sikhs by Gurus. Some part of these vāran state as follows:
"At birth a Sikh girl is immediately “our darling” to her mother and father. Later, she becomes admired by her brothers and sisters and favored by her relatives. On attaining “the bloom of youth,” she is married, with costly gifts and presents. Now, respected by her husbands family, and deemed lucky in her new household, she is regarded as the equal of her spouse in both virtue and wisdom. She becomes as a doorway to salvation. Such is the verbal portrait of a Guru-inspired, and blessed, faithful Sikh woman." (5.16)
Sati is an Indian custom of immolation of a woman on her dead husband's funeral pyre either willingly or by societal inducement and compulsion. Guru Nanak said the following about this practice: [2]
Do not call them 'satee', who burn themselves along with their husbands' corpses.
O Nanak, they alone are known as 'satee', who die from the shock of separation. (1)
…Some burn themselves along with their dead husbands: [but they need not, for] if they really loved them they would endure the pain alive.— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 787
The Guru said that if the wife really loves her husband, then she should endure the pain of separation alive; that she should rather continue living her life than suffer a quick death in the fire of her husband's funeral pyre. Further, Guru Nanak explains that a true "Sati" is the person who cannot endure the pain of separation from their loved one.
The Sikh Gurus spoke against the common practice of dowry when a gift of money or valuables had to be given by the bride's family to that of the groom at the time of their marriage. Huge pressure was exerted on the bride's family for the extraction of a sizable fortune at times of marriage. It has historically been regarded as a contribution by her family to the married household's future expenses. The Gurus called this giving of gifts an "offer for show" of the guests, and a "worthless display" which only increased "false egotism." Sikh families were discouraged from continuing this practice, and slowly this trend has diminished in some parts of Indian society. The following Shabad explains the Guru's position: [3]
Any other dowry, which the self-willed manmukhs offer for show, is only false egotism and a worthless display.
O my father, please give me the Name of the Lord God as my wedding gift and dowry. (4)— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 79
Sikhism, also known as Sikhi, is an Indian religion and philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religions and among the largest in the world with about 25–30 million adherents, known as Sikhs.
A gurdwara or gurudwara is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as Gurdwara Sahib. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurdwaras. Each gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takht in a prominent central position. Any congregant may recite, sing, and explain the verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, in the presence of the rest of the congregation.
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth, its first rendition, was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan (1564–1606). Its compilation was completed on 29 August 1604 and first installed inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on 1 September 1604. Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of the Golden Temple. Shortly afterwards Guru Hargobind added Ramkali Ki Vaar. Later, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, added hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth and affirmed the text as his successor. This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth.
Guru Amar Das, sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas, was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73.
In Sikhism, Nām Japō (Punjabi: ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ, pronunciation: ), also known as Naam Japna or Naam Simran, is the remembrance of God or the Akal Purkh, the supreme formless power that is timeless and deathless, through the meditation or contemplation of the various Names of God, especially the chanting of the word "Waheguru" representing the formless being, the creator of all the forms, and the being omnipresent in all forms.
The Mūl Mantar is the opening verse of the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. It consists of twelve words in the Punjabi language, written in Gurmukhi script, and are the most widely known among the Sikhs. They summarize the essential teaching of Guru Nanak, thus constituting a succinct doctrinal statement of Sikhism.
Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm/), traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. Jain dharma traces its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders or tirthankaras, with the first in current time cycle being Lord Rishabhanatha, whom the Jain tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third tirthankara Parshvanatha whom historians date to 8th or 7th century BCE, and the 24th tirthankara, Mahāvīra around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology.
Sikh music, also known as Gurbani Sangeet , and as Gurmat Sangeet, or even as Shabad Kirtan, is the classical music style that is practised within Sikhism. It exists in institutional, popular, and folk traditions, forms, and varieties. Three types of Sikh musicians are rababis, ragis, and dhadhis. Sikh music exists in various melodic modes, musical forms, styles, musicians, and performance contexts.
Lobh is a word derived from the Sanskrit (लोभ), which translates in English to "greed"; it is a strong desire for worldly possessions and a constant focus on possessing material items, especially the urge to possess what rightfully belongs to others. It is one of the Five Evils of Sikhism that hinder one's spiritual progression. An individual suffering from the evil is known as a Lobhi.
Ahankar, commonly rendered as Hankaar or Hankār based upon its pronunciation in Punjabi, is a Gurmukhi word originating from the Sanskrit word Ahankāra which translates to mean "ego" or "excessive pride" due to one's possessions, material wealth, spirituality, beauty, talents, physical strength, intelligence, authoritative powers, charity work, amid others. It is one of the five thieves of Sikhism which hinder one's spiritual's progression.
The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth, more commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The second most important scripture of the Sikhs is the Dasam Granth. Both of these consist of text which was written or authorised by the Sikh Gurus.
The principles of Sikhism state that women have the same souls as men and thus possess an equal right to cultivate their spirituality with equal chances of achieving salvation. Women participate in all Sikh religious, cultural, social, and secular activities including lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path, perform Kirtan, perform Gatka and work as a Granthis.
In Sikhism, God is conceived as the Oneness that permeates the entirety of creation and beyond. It abides within all of creation as symbolized by the symbol Ik Onkar. The One is indescribable yet knowable and perceivable to anyone who surrenders their egoism and meditates upon that Oneness. The Sikh gurus have described God in numerous ways in their hymns included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism, but the oneness of formless God is consistently emphasized throughout.
Bhagat Sadhna, also called Sadhna Qasai, was a north Indian poet, saint, mystic and one of the devotees whose hymn was incorporated in Guru Granth Sahib. Venerated in the region of Punjab, among Sikhs and Ravidassias, his devotional hymn is widely quoted by most preachers. His one hymn is present in Adi Granth Sahib, in Raga Bilaval.
The Guru Granth Sahib, a Sikh religious text, promotes a moral teaching that Guru Sahib explains is about living a life of truth, belief in one God, respect for others and high moral standards. Followers of the guru are considered to be members of the Sikh religion and they are known as Gurmukh, meaning “follower of Guru”.
The following list consists of concepts that are derived from both Sikh and Indian tradition. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Sikhism all in one place.
Irrespective of the native-language meaning of the Mantra, the standard English translation neutralises the implied Gender of God in Sikhism.
Sikhism was founded in Punjab in 1469 by Guru Nanak on the foundations that everyone is equal, regardless of caste, age, or gender. Both men and women are supposed to follow the Five Ks: Kesh, Kangha (comb), Kara, Kachera and Kirpan, and there was never a distinction between what a woman should be allowed to do versus a man at theological level. Men and women are treated equally in the temple (gurdwara), and everyone eats and prays side-by-side. Both men and women are meant to carry the Kirpan with them as they are responsible for their own physical protection, and should not depend on others. Sikhs are strictly against the caste system and many chose to use Kaur or Singh as a last name to push against the problematic caste system in India. There is only one god (Waheguru) in Sikhism and they are without form or gender, and everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Many Sikh women believe that this absence of assignment of code of conduct for a woman versus a man proves that their religion is historically committed to gender equality. Presently, the culture does not always follow these traditions and equality is often more true in ideals rather than daily practice. According to Kiman Kaur: "It is essential to take into account the diverse Kaur narratives in order to critically understand the violence Sikh women experience due to religious, ethnic, and gender minoritization through enabling more intersectional conversations."
Sidh Gosti, also spelled as Sidh Goshti, Sidh Gosht, or Sidh Gosat, is a famous spiritual interfaith dialogue between Guru Nanak and Nath Siddhas. The composition is present from Ang 938 to 946 in the Adi Granth. The composition has 73 stanzas, written in Ramkali Raga. Prominent Sidh and Naths present during discussion were Charpatnath, Bhangarnath and Loharipa. The popular belief is that this discourse happened at Achal Batala. Other than that Guru Nanak had discourses with Sidhas at various places mainly at Gorakhmatta, Achal Batala and Mount Meru. The discussion explains the differences of Gurmat with Yoga.
Baba Buddha was a prime figure in early Sikhism.