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

Last Updated: 29.06.2025 01:37

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

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.

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

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ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

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

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

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

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

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.

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

Are you glad that political prisoner Andrew Tate has made it safely to the United States, where his freedom of speech is protected?

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

NOW…

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

Should parents force their kids to go to school when they are sick?

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

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ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

Can a 40-year-old date a 20-year-old?

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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.

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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.

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

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

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

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

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

CONCLUSION:

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

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

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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||

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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

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

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

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

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

Sain (a barber)

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

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

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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.

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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.

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

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.

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

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

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

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.

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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

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

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

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

then who is there to know what happens without?

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

Kabir (a weaver)

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

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

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

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

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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

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

Now here in this verse

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!

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

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

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

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

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…

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.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

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

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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,

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.