PRETAS
‘Preta’ in Sanskrit and ‘Preto’ in Apbhransh means: 1. one who is gone, past 2. dead 3. ghosts, demons, spirits.
In Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and some other religions, the ghosts and demons are a reality but Sikhism does not accept them. According to Sikhism these are just phantoms of mind and result of delusion. There are several references to pretas (ghosts) in Guru Granth Sahib but these are metaphorical and not conceptual.
According to Sikhism maya as well as moh, kaam, krodh, lobh, Ahmkaar (five vices) are preats (Guru Granth Sahib, p 513). Besides, those who do not meditate upon the name of God or forget God, too are pretas (Guru Granth Sahib, p 706).
Conceptually speaking, the concept of pretas, as propounded by Hinduism and Islam, is in contradiction with the definition of God. It is God who has authority to grant ‘hell or heaven’ to the human beings. As pretas do not live in hell or heaven, it means that the pretas are those dead people whom God could not assign hell or heaven. It puts a question mark on the authority, power and efficiency of God.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)