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

Last Updated: 01.07.2025 09:30

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

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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

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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Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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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You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

What bait should you use for ocean fishing?

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

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.

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

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

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

Illum autem fuga doloremque est quod delectus id.

NOW…

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

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

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

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

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

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Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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 325

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These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

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

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

Why am I so triggered and depressed over a minor thing?

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

Do you think Lady Gaga and Celine Dion have rehearsed separately for their performance at the Olympics opening ceremony?

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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

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

Why do I sweat so much at the gym?

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.

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

How do you complete “Ciao bell'uomo, come stai oggi, buongiorno signore, sono Jennifer Rose Louis, come ti chiami”?

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

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

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

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

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

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

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

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

———————————————————————————————————————

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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.

———————————————————————————————————————

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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.

Now here in this verse

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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

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

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

———————————————————————————————————————

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

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

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.

Sain (a barber)

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

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

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

I am like a fish out of water,

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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

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

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.

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

CONCLUSION:

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

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

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

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

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

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

Kabir (a weaver)

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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

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.

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

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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!

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

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

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.

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥