How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 21.06.2025 00:51
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
New COVID variant swiftly gains ground in US; concern looms for summer wave - Ars Technica
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
What pleasure do guys get by sucking female breasts?
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
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Who is someone that inspires you?
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ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Can ringing in the ears be a sign of spiritual awakening?
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.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
What caused the stock market to crash?
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Have you ever had your crush reject you, and then later you all dated and married?
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
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.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Sain (a barber)
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Now here in this verse
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.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
NOW…
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
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.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
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…
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
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.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Kabir (a weaver)
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
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.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
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There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
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ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
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.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
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.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
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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ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
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
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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!
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
CONCLUSION:
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,