How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 02.07.2025 11:06
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Have you ever witnessed political correctness harm someone?
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
For a superficial McSikh who is interested only in separation and not enlightenment the views of Kabir can be easily shown as a denouncement of Hindu practices.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
How do scammers communicate? Do they have a specific language or slang?
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
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At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
The views of Kabir are very much in parallel to the Advaita philosophy and it is obvious that as the disciple of Ramanandacharya he will carry forward with his chosen NIRGUN BHAKTI.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
The divergence of Kabir’s views from Vedanta is seen in the fact that he fully opposed religious symbolism of ALL KINDS and not just IDOLS.
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Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
We can see that great saints like Kabir and Ravidas etc… descended from the Ramananda sampradaya which is still the largest ascetic order in India.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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We can understand that Kabir despite being in favor of formless worship was very much embedded in the Dharmik fold but always preached in the spirit of the transcendental nature of Brahman to the point that HE LOST THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HINDU AND MUSLIM.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
The Sant Sampraday of Sikh panth integrates the warrior spirit of the Nihangs and Khalsa, the service of Seva panth and the renunciation of Udasi/Nirmala saints.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Now here in this verse
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Here ਰਾਮੈ is Rama and not just lord. Kabir died chanting the name of Rama DESPITE him not finding any result of penances done in holy cities in his previous birth. Another example to show how much Kabir valued personal devotion to Rama in his own NIRGUN style.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Actually, this part of the Ang 326 is widely used by McSikhs to show that Sikhism considers Hindu pilgrimages as useless and thus drives home the point again that the “religion” has got NOTHING to do with Hinduism.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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Sikhism is fundamentally rooted in BHAKTI tradition and thus ultimately in Sanatana Dharma. There is no doubt about it despite what modern McSikh acrobatics try to claim otherwise
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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As mentioned above Guru Arjan Dev was talking from the perspective Sant Kabir whose views we have discussed much earlier here. We know that Sant Kabir continuing in the Ramanandi Sampradaya went further away from the mainstream ritualistic Hinduism and was journeying more towards a SEAMLESS Dharma.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
———————————————————————————————————————
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Ramanandacharya’s teachings were centered on pure and personal connection with the God Rama and didn’t believe in any kind of formal ritualism. He used the common vernacular language instead of Sanskrit so that everyone could understand.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
I am like a fish out of water,
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
NOW…
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Ramanandacharya was a 14th-century Hindu Vaishnava devotional poet saint who amalgamated Advaita with Vaishnava Bhakti. He was the pioneer in validating NIRGUN and SAGUN Bhakti as parallel paths.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Sain (a barber)
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
then who is there to know what happens without?
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
There is a reason why I mention ROOTED and thus NOT implying that it belongs to one of the numerous sects in Sanatana Dharma like Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Smartism etc…
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Bhakti movement began in South (Tamil Nadu to be precise) and slowly spread to Northern parts of India. This movement was extremely popular because of its simple fundamentals which could be understood by even commonfolk. Vaishnavism, Shaivism etc… were already connecting with commonfolk from a long time and this Bhakti movement reinforced it by making the devotee feel a personal connection with the deity.
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Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
For him Dharma was beyond everything physical including the desire for heaven because was fully into the NIRGUN . The last verse shows that according to him the company of the enlightened Sadhus is heaven which is again a typical teaching of Sanatana Dharma.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Guru Nanak (right) and Bhai Mardana (foreground) with Bhagat Kabir (left). This painting is found in the B-40 Janamsakhi, written and painted in 1733. The painting was made by Alam Chand Raj
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
From where did the word Maya come? Isn’t it a typical Vedantic concept discussed profoundly in Advaita? It definitely isn’t a concept pioneered by Kabir or even his teacher Ramanandacharya! It is ultimately from Sanatana Dharma!
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Kabir (a weaver)
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
The influence of Kabir is significant on Sikhism. The following Bani from Ang 1136 is attributed to GURU ARJAN DEV but if you observe at the end you can see that he was talking in the spirit of Sant Kabir.
CONCLUSION:
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.