How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 30.06.2025 03:20
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
What is something brutally honest that needs to be said?
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
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
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There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
A father of 3 felt healthy. Then a routine screening found a rare, deadly illness. - CBS News
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Why are Republican politicians so afraid to oppose Trump?
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Sain (a barber)
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The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
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.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Will Canadians still buy American products?
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
NOW…
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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…
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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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.
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.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
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.
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I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Kabir (a weaver)
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
I am like a fish out of water,
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Now here in this verse
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
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.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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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He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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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.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
CONCLUSION:
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
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.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
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?
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
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
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
then who is there to know what happens without?
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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!
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
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I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||