Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
Most of the above things you mention are again cultural aspects of the subcontinent. In fact, many people made fun of our Prophet (saw) for not having any sons. It was the culture of that part of the world. Sadly, it remains so even now.
I don’t think it is written in the Hindu guidebooks that “thou shalt hate upon widows” or “thou shalt pierce your nose oh woman or you will be born a frog in the next life” or “if your daughter in law bears a daughter, thou shalt taunt her for the rest of your life.” Maybe some Hindu can shed some light here.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
It really does not matter if something is or was prevalent outside Hinduism also.
The question is about Hinduism here and weather it has or is affecting Pakistani culture.
Orthodox Hindus do not approve childlessness and consider it to be very inauspicious. Women without children have to face social discomfort and questioning looks from friends and relations. Newly married couple have to deal with peer pressure if they fail to produce children within a reasonable time after their marriage. Childlessness causes great hardship for both men and women in Hindu families, despite the fact that over population is a major problem of present day India. While for men it is mostly a problem of their virility and manhood for women it is the stigma of barrenness and the absence of the pleasures of motherhood. Barren women are not allowed to participate in certain rituals and on some occasions their very presence is considered inauspicious, which add to the stigma of infertility.
A son is generally preferred because he upholds the family values and ensures its continuity. According to Gautama Sutras (28:18), if a person does not having male children, he may ask his daughter to raise a son for him. A family without a male child is considered accursed. Male children are preferred for many reasons. Financially a male child is an asset. Socially he stands for the continuity and the exalted image of the family. Spiritually he helps his parents in their afterlife, by performing their funeral rites when they die and saving them from the hell of Punnama where people without sons are believed to go. Thereafter he performs the shradda ceremonies at regular intervals to ensure their well being in the heavens. The female children are excluded from participating in funeral ceremonies and are not even allowed to visit the cremation grounds. If a couple has more than one son, the elder one and the younger one would lit the funeral pyres of their father and mother respectively.
Hindu law books do not ignore the rights of illegitimate children. According to Gautama Sutras (28:33-34) the son of an unmarried damsel, the son of a pregnant bride, the son of a twice-married woman, the son of an appointed daughter, a son self-given, and a son bought belong to the family of their fathers. In the absence of a legitimate son or other heirs, they receive a fourth of the estate. The law books also laid down elaborate rules of inheritance for children born out of inter-caste marriages and polygamy.
In many families girl children are subjected to gender bias. Having too many girls in a family is considered a great financial burden since the parents have to pay large dowries for their marriages. The girls have no right of inheritance. The ancestral property of the family invariably goes to the male children. Parents have the right to distribute their own wealth (swarjitam) to their daughters. But generally they do not do so unless they do not have male children. After marriage a girl child becomes the sole property of her husband and cannot stay with her parents however strong might have been their relationship. While the birth of a son is still welcome in almost every Hindu family, now a days the birth of baby girl is also welcomed by many educated parents, who consider it as an auspicious sign, as if a goddess is born in their house.
Hindus are very possessive about their children and spend a great deal of their time and energy in bringing them up. Because of orthodox sentiments and moral values, the parents are always concerned about their children’s welfare and upbringing and expect them not to bring a bad name to themselves or to their families. Compared to the western societies, the Hindus are sentimentally and emotionally more attached to their children and experience a greater warmth and intimacy in their relationships. The bond between the parents and children remains intact even after the children grow up and get married.
In a Hindu family it is an obligatory religious duty of the sons to look after their aged parents and provide them with decent means of living. Many do so. But like in other societies, aged people are increasingly suffering from problems of alienation, isolation and their children’s indifference and neglect. Old age homes which were non existent a few decades ago are now coming up in many parts of India.
Hindu family system is undergoing radical transformation. But a great majority of Hindu families still consider their children as products of their past deeds (purvajanma sukrutam). If a child strays and brings bad name they blame it upon themselves and their previous karma.
The following rites are associated with the birth of a child:
Rites performed before the birth of an individual, invoking gods to make a woman of the household conceive.
Rites performed during the third month of pregnancy invoking gods for the birth of a male child. (Hindu women please take note. The Aryans were chauvinistic and wanted more male children!)
Rites performed at the time of the birth of a child.
Rites performed at the time of name giving ceremony.
Rites performed six months after the birth of the child.
The hair cutting ceremony.
Rites performed at the time of “upanayana” to make the individual a “dvija” or twice born".
Though sons have been considered important in hindu culture, but there are ample alternatives. If a person does not have a biological son, an adopted son would do just as well (it is common to adopt a close relative’s son). The responsibility of the last rights can also be completed by the son of the daughter. In absense of any issue at all, a brother’s son could administer the last rights.
In earlier days, there was no restriction like ‘we two, our two’. People had many sons and daughters, so it was hardly a problem. There was no restriction about number of wives. In dire cases,** ‘niyoga’ (insemination by a designated relative or person) was permitted.
**
Today a son or a daughter have the same importance. In many cases daughters take better care of the old parents than the sons. With best regards,
In Hindu family importance of son is many folds. Son is considered to be the saviour and one who will give Pinda Daan that is he will take his parents ashes to the Ganges & wash them so that they will go to heaven after their death. A son is considered to take care of his old parents and their social obligations. So son’s importance in Hindu family is very crucial.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
If something existed outside of Hinduism, then that means that the culture impacted both Hinduism and Islam. People preferring sons, and frowning upon childlessness is something that existed in the Middle East as well, before Islam even existed.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
This thread is about cultural practices, supposedly from Hinduism, impacting Islam. In reality, those practices influenced Hinduism as well. Therefore, it is not Hinduism that is influencing Islam in Pakistan, but the regions’ cultural practices that are doing so.
I’m guessing you disagree, and think those practices originated with Hinduism. Fine. That’s your belief.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
not dominated… but we do have some stuff accepted as “culture” which probably is rooted from Hunduism
teeja, chaleeswan, barsi. women not going in open sky during lunar eclipse, weekly break of eating-meat, for now i can think these from top of my head, there may be more
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
No it is not. Read the title again and find me the word Islam there.
The thread is not about islam. It is about Hinduism and Pakistani culture.
You have a habit of reading what is not even written. I corrected you in post 46 and 47 earlier also.
You are wrong about mixing and talking about Islam with Hinduism and somehow they BOTH were affected by another culture which is bad.
You do not need to defend Hinduism by making wrong accusations to Islam. No where in Islam it says being childless is a curse or someone is better off with having son so certain rituals can be performed.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
The only thing that would differentiate Pakistani culture from Indian culture, where the impact of Hinduism is not an issue, is Islam. So if Hindu culture is an issue, the problem would have to be that it’s getting in the way of Islam, otherwise there is no problem.
As for the stance on childlessness, all religions encourage reproduction. The preference for sons however, was cultural, not Islamic, for practical reasons.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
Because Hinduism is problem, since it is getting in the way of Islam, you decided to take a shot at Islam and tried to make them look like the same, when in fact, they are not!
Thank you and yes. Not Islamic.
But Islam is not in question here.
Pakistani culture is, which is definitely influenced by Hindu Religion.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
Irrespective of the unauthentic sources above, your knowledge about Hinduism is Zilch and that condition cannot be remedied on this discussion board. Kindly stick to your religion and its teachings. You are not qualified enough to compare religions you are neither familiar with nor interested in. If you do have anything to discuss rationally, try posting authentic sources if you find any from our holy books which are the 4 vedas and the Geeta. Direct teachings of our revered Avatars will do as well.
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
The speculated origin of the Saree is the Indus Valley Civilization. The fact is that it is a part of our heritage. Whether you choose to accept it or not is a different matter altogether
Re: Is Pakistani culture dominated by Hindu religion?
For some this thread is about attacking Hinduism - hence the statement no need to DEFEND Hinduism. Interesting that some posters have brought up Hinduism only in a negative light. Wonder if it is their religion or their culture that explains their proclivity to consistently portray another religion in poor light in order to feel good about their religion or culture.
