How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 20.06.2025 08:58
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Is Twilight appropriate for a 12-year-old?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
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ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
What's an uncomfortable truth you've learned to accept?
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Why is there so much free porn on the internet?
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
What is the cost of implementing synchronized traffic lights in a mid-sized city?
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.
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.
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ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Why did lobsters evolve bright colors if they are neither poisonous nor venomous?
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
What is a good way to conduct an interview?
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
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.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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…
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Kabir (a weaver)
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Sain (a barber)
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
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.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Now here in this verse
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.
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.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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!
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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
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.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
CONCLUSION:
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
NOW…
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
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.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
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.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.