If Sikhism was born in India, why is it considered separate from Hinduism?

Respected Brother/Sister,

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh!

1. Though, Sikhism originated from Hinduism, which was the prevalent religion in India, at that time, but it got separated from it when the First Guru Person, Guru Nanak Sahib, refused to wear the Janeu, at the age of nine years. Rather, he asked the Brahmin, who came for conducting the Janeu ceremony, whether he had a Janeu with the following qualities:-

ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੧ ॥ ਦਇਆ ਕਪਾਹ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਸੂਤੁ ਜਤੁ ਗੰਢੀ ਸਤੁ ਵਟੁ ॥ ਏਹੁ ਜਨੇਊ ਜੀਅ ਕਾ ਹਈ ਤ ਪਾਡੇ ਘਤੁ ॥ ਨਾ ਏਹੁ ਤੁਟੈ ਨ ਮਲੁ ਲਗੈ ਨਾ ਏਹੁ ਜਲੈ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਧੰਨੁ ਸੁ ਮਾਣਸ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਜੋ ਗਲਿ ਚਲੇ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਚਉਕੜਿ ਮੁਲਿ ਅਣਾਇਆ ਬਹਿ ਚਉਕੈ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਸਿਖਾ ਕੰਨਿ ਚੜਾਈਆ ਗੁਰੁ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਥਿਆ ॥ ਓਹੁ ਮੁਆ ਓਹੁ ਝੜਿ ਪਇਆ ਵੇਤਗਾ ਗਇਆ ॥੧॥ {ਪੰਨਾ 471}

ਅਰਥ: ਹੇ ਪੰਡਤ! ਜੇ (ਤੇਰੇ ਪਾਸ) ਇਹ ਆਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਕੰਮ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਜਨੇਊ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ (ਮੇਰੇ ਗਲ) ਪਾ ਦੇਹ = ਇਹ ਜਨੇਊ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਕਪਾਹ ਦਇਆ ਹੋਵੇ, ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਸੂਤ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਹੋਵੇ, ਜਿਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੰਢਾਂ ਜਤ ਹੋਣ, ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਵੱਟ ਉੱਚਾ ਆਚਰਨ ਹੋਵੇ। (ਹੇ ਪੰਡਿਤ) ! ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਜਨੇਊ ਨਾ ਟੁੱਟਦਾ ਹੈ, ਨਾ ਹੀ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਮੈਲ ਲੱਗਦੀ ਹੈ, ਨਾ ਇਹ ਸੜਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਇਹ ਗੁਆਚਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਉਹ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਭਾਗਾਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਹ ਜਨੇਊ ਆਪਣੇ ਗਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਪਾ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ।

(ਹੇ ਪੰਡਤ! ਇਹ ਜਨੇਊ ਜੋ ਤੂੰ ਪਾਂਦਾ ਫਿਰਦਾ ਹੈਂ, ਇਹ ਤਾਂ ਤੂੰ) ਚਾਰ ਕੌਡਾਂ ਮੁੱਲ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਮੰਗਵਾ ਲਿਆ, (ਆਪਣੇ ਜਜਮਾਨ ਦੇ) ਚੌਕੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੈਠ ਕੇ (ਉਸ ਦੇ ਗਲ) ਪਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ, (ਫੇਰ ਤੂੰ ਉਸ ਦੇ) ਕੰਨ ਵਿਚ ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ (ਕਿ ਅੱਜ ਤੋਂ ਤੇਰਾ) ਗੁਰੂ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ। (ਸਮਾ ਪੁੱਗਣ ਤੇ ਜਦੋਂ) ਉਹ (ਜਜਮਾਨ) ਮਰ ਗਿਆ (ਤਾਂ) ਉਹ (ਜਨੇਊ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਸਰੀਰ ਤੋਂ) ਢਹਿ ਪਿਆ (ਭਾਵ ਸੜ ਗਿਆ ਜਾਂ ਡਿੱਗ ਪਿਆ, ਪਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਾ ਨਿਭਿਆ, ਇਸ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਉਹ ਜਜਮਾਨ ਵਿਚਾਰਾ) ਜਨੇਊ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਹੀ (ਸੰਸਾਰ ਤੋਂ) ਗਿਆ।1।

2. Subsequently, Guru Sahib refused to take seven pheras, around the fire, the prevalent custom of Hinduism, at the time of marriage ceremony.

3. Further, according to Sikhism, the attributes of the Akalpurakh (single one God) are :-

ੴ (Ik Onkar) (One Universal Creator God),

ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ (Sat Naam) (The Name Is Truth);

ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ (Karta Purakh) (Creative Being Personified);

ਨਿਰਭਉ (Nirbhau) (No Fear);

ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ (Nirvair) (No Enmity or Hatred),

ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ (Akal Moorat) (Image of the undying);

ਅਜੂਨੀ (Ajuni) (Beyond Birth);

ਸੈਭੰ (Saibhang) (Self-existstant);

ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ (Gur Parsad) (By Guru’s Grace).

whereas, according to Hinduism:-

Three Gods rule the world.

Brahma: the creator;

Vishnu: the preserver; and

Shiva: the destroyer.

4. Also, in his discussion with Yogis, Guru Nanak Sahib had made it very clear that his Guru was Shabad which meant that the body of the Guru was not the Guru.

5. As per tenets of Sikhism, “Sikh” is a “Seeker of Truth” and “Sikhism” stands for:-

(i) Oneness of Humanity;

(ii) No discrimination owing to gender, race, caste, creed, or color whereas casteism is very much prevalent in Hinduism, as prescribed in Manu Smriti;

(iii) No empty rituals & worthless religious practices whereas in Hinduism there are many;

(iv) No life after death theories. Rather, it stands for spiritual salvation/emancipation, during the life time, on getting rid of vices. Hinduism, however, believes in eighty four lakh rebirths after death, before rebirth as a human being;

6. Further, Sikhism:-

(i) teaches a Sikh to live his life in the present (no baggage of previous life), as per Hukam of Akalpurakh and teachings of ever living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (which teaches spirituality);

(ii) expects a Sikh to earn an honest living, remain connected with Akalpurakh all the time and share his honest earning with poor and needy;

(iii) expects a Sikh to be compassionate, kind, tolerant and is to love all i e. he is to reach the mental state of seeing Akalpurakh in everyone and hence having friends only and no enemies;

(iv) expects a Sikh to serve the humanity, without any distinction of caste, creed and religion.

7. Guru Granth Sahib teaches a person/Sikh to get rid of vices, become a righteous/virtuous person and live life, as per Divine Law (Hukam). The goal of becoming a righteous/virtuous person was laid down by the First Guru Person, Guru Nanak Sahib, in the first Pauri of Jap Baani itself, when he said:-

Kiv Sachiara hoiey, Kiv Kude Tute Pal, Hukam Rajai Chalna, Nanak likhya Naal.

ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ਚਲਣਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥

8. Once a person/Sikh achieves the goal of becoming a righteous/ virtuous person and becomes one with Akalpurakh and Shabad Guru, who are spiritually embodiment of each other, he will live a disciplined life and achieve the stage of spiritual equipoise and spiritual bliss. The main goal is to achieve spiritual emancipation/ salvation in this life itself since there is no concept of salvation/ emancipation, after death in Sikhism. This is not so in Hinduism.

9. Imbibing the above teachings, of Guru Granth Sahib, is what is called Sikhi and is distinct from Hinduism in the basic principles itself.

10. Hope it helps. If you have any further questions, please do ask. If you find any deficiencies, please point out the same, for improvement in future.

Regards,

Your Brother