Karam is karam. Everyone wants to redefine terms they find objectionable because due to politics in kalyug Sikhs are allergic to anything from ancient Indic past for fear of losing identity.
It gets sort of silly after awhile. If karam doesn't mean karam, then what does it mean? If dasm duar doesn't mean dasm duar then what does it mean? Hinduism doesn't own these concepts any more than Sikhism has a monopoly on God.
What is different is we have Guru. We have Gurbani. We have Naam. Everything that was true in the past hasn't stopped being true and that's why these timeless concepts are used to explain Sikh teaching. If they didn't have true meaning, Guruji would have used truer words and not made a confusion out of using old words with new concepts. Reincarnation still means reincarnation. Only Guru has corrected errors of the past and clarified the highest understanding which was not available in any previous age or scripture. Sikh teaching is different from Hinduism because of what it adds, not because of what it takes away.
It is true that evil is rewarded and good is persecuted in kalyug. Gurbani says:
ਰਾਤੇ ਕੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਰਹਿ ਐਸਾ ਕਲਿ ਮਹਿ ਡੀਠਾ ॥੬॥
raathae kee nindhaa karehi aisaa kal mehi ddeethaa ||6||
One who is imbued with the Lord's Love is slandered - his is what I have seen in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga. ||6||
~SGGS Ji p. 229
In the kalyug religion is corrupted and only the Naam can give you mukti.
ਕਲਿਜੁਗੁ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਆ ਪਗ ਤ੍ਰੈ ਖਿਸਕੀਆ ਪਗੁ ਚਉਥਾ ਟਿਕੈ ਟਿਕਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
kalijug har keeaa pag thrai khisakeeaa pag chouthhaa ttikai ttikaae jeeo ||
The Lord ushered in the Dark Age, the Iron Age of Kali Yuga; three legs of religion were lost, and only the fourth leg remained intact.
ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਮਾਇਆ ਅਉਖਧੁ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਪਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
gur sabadh kamaaeiaa aoukhadhh har paaeiaa har keerath har saanth paae jeeo ||
Acting in accordance with the Word of the Guru's Shabad, the medicine of the Lord's Name is obtained. Singing the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises, divine peace is obtained.
~SGGS Ji p. 446
The Kalyug is an evil age of cruelty, and until our karam is such we receive Guruji's Naam planted within, the healing of our disease of panj dhoots won't happen (seed will shatter) we are caught in the age and actually a part of the evil. This is why amrit alone isn't enough but we need to be obedient to the Gursikh practices, rehat code, or we corrupt our own seeking from impurities. Kalyug is a difficult age to find God. An easy age to lose consciousness of Him.
ਸਚਿ ਕਾਲੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਕਲਿ ਕਾਲਖ ਬੇਤਾਲ ॥
sach kaal koorr varathiaa kal kaalakh baethaal ||
There is a famine of Truth; falsehood prevails, and the blackness of the Dark Age of Kali Yuga has turned men into demons.
ਬੀਉ ਬੀਜਿ ਪਤਿ ਲੈ ਗਏ ਅਬ ਕਿਉ ਉਗਵੈ ਦਾਲਿ ॥
beeo beej path lai geae ab kio ougavai dhaal ||
Those who planted their seed have departed with honor; now, how can the shattered seed sprout?
ਜੇ ਇਕੁ ਹੋਇ ਤ ਉਗਵੈ ਰੁਤੀ ਹੂ ਰੁਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
jae eik hoe th ougavai ruthee hoo ruth hoe ||
If the seed is whole, and it is the proper season, then the seed will sprout.
~SGGS Ji p. 468
ਕਲਿ ਕਲਵਾਲੀ ਕਾਮੁ ਮਦੁ ਮਨੂਆ ਪੀਵਣਹਾਰੁ ॥
kal kalavaalee kaam madh manooaa peevanehaar ||
The Dark Age of Kali Yuga is the vessel, filled with the wine of sexual desire; the mind is the drunkard.
ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਕਟੋਰੀ ਮੋਹਿ ਭਰੀ ਪੀਲਾਵਾ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ॥
krodhh kattoree mohi bharee peelaavaa ahankaar ||
Anger is the cup, filled with emotional attachment, and egotism is the server.
~SGGS Ji p. 553
ਕਲੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਜਿੰਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਉਤਾਰੁ ॥
kalee andhar naanakaa jinnaan dhaa aouthaar ||
In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, O Nanak, the demons have taken birth.
8 Bihaagrhaa Guru Nanak Dev
ਪੁਤੁ ਜਿਨੂਰਾ ਧੀਅ ਜਿੰਨੂਰੀ ਜੋਰੂ ਜਿੰਨਾ ਦਾ ਸਿਕਦਾਰੁ ॥੧॥
puth jinooraa dhheea jinnooree joroo jinnaa dhaa sikadhaar ||1||
The son is a demon, and the daughter is a demon; the wife is the chief of the demons. ||1
~SGGS Ji p. 556
But this age is the best age because the highest level of spirituality and mukti can only be obtained in it, so great is the boat of Guruji's Naam. So don't worry too much about the fake world and temporary success and money. Everything is passing away. Cling to what doesn't fail you. Cling to what is most meaningful.
ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗੀ ਕਲਿ ਕਾਲੀ ਕਾਂਢੀ ਇਕ ਉਤਮ ਪਦਵੀ ਇਸੁ ਜੁਗ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
chahu jugee kal kaalee kaandtee eik outham padhavee eis jug maahi ||
Kali Yuga is called the Dark Age, but the most sublime state is attained in this age.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਫਲੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਹਰਿ ਲਿਖਿ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
guramukh har keerath fal paaeeai jin ko har likh paahi ||
The Gurmukh obtains the fruit, the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises; this is his destiny, ordained by the Lord.
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਉਚਰਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਭਗਤੀ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਹਿ ॥੨॥
naanak gur parasaadhee anadhin bhagath har oucharehi har bhagathee maahi samaahi ||2||
O Nanak, by Guru's Grace, he worships the Lord night and day; he chants the Lord's Name, and remains absorbed in the Lord's devotional worship. ||2||
~SGGS Ji p. 651
ਦੁਖੁ ਕਲੇਸੁ ਨ ਭਉ ਬਿਆਪੈ ਗੁਰ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੁ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਹੋਇ ॥
dhukh kalaes n bho biaapai gur manthra hiradhai hoe ||
Suffering, agony and fear do not cling to one whose heart is filled with the GurMantra.
ਕੋਟਿ ਜਤਨਾ ਕਰਿ ਰਹੇ ਗੁਰ ਬਿਨੁ ਤਰਿਓ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥
kott jathanaa kar rehae gur bin thariou n koe ||2||
Trying millions of things, people have grown weary, but without the Guru, none have been saved. ||2||
~SGGS Ji p. 51
ਦੁਖੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਸੁਖੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਭਇਆ ਜਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਤਾਮਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥
dhukh dhaaroo sukh rog bhaeiaa jaa sukh thaam n hoee ||
Suffering is the medicine, and pleasure the disease, because where there is pleasure, there is no desire for God.
~SGGS Ji p. 469
