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How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

12.06.2025 17:19

How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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.

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I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.

All the men and women of the world are His living forms.

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

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ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!

That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||

How do I study with focus and concentration and avoid distractions and procrastination?

To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.

He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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…

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Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।

Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,

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Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.

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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

Are there really people who still believe the Earth is flat?

Sain (a barber)

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 wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

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Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.

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.

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He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||

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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

Why am I always so tired, no matter how much I sleep?

Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.

Why do I feel so tired all the time even after a good night’s sleep?

With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

I am like a fish out of water,

Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?

Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),

Now here in this verse

Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!

That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.

Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||

How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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.

I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||

There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

=======================================================

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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.

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||

My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||

If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,

Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,

Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!

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.

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.

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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.

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.

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.

We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,

I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

NOW…

I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||

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!

As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||

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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.

Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326

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.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||

There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.

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.

CONCLUSION:

ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥