How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 17.06.2025 01:36
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
CONCLUSION:
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Can you name a song with the word 'why' in it?
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
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.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Why do men love boobs (irrespective of big or small)?
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Have you been arrested or investigated?
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Is it legal for an employer to ask why you are taking time off from work?
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
What is the reason for writing X^2 as XX instead of X*X?
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
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Why can't hot girls date ugly guys? I am ugly but I want an attractive girlfriend
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Did Obito ever fully redeem himself in everyone's eyes?
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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.
Who is the most annoying character in the Office?
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.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Why is the covert narcissist actively avoiding me when they see me everyday?
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
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.
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We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Kabir (a weaver)
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
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
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ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
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.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
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.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
NOW…
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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.
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.
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!
then who is there to know what happens without?
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Sain (a barber)
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Now here in this verse
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
I am like a fish out of water,
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
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…
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
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Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.