How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 03.07.2025 02:02
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Why is my Whirlpool fridge not cooling but the freezer works? What is the solution?
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Tariff news isn't good... - Daily Kos
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Europe cuts interest rates as Trump's tariffs loom - BBC
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Young researcher’s ALS attack plan is now a no-go - Harvard Gazette
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
NOW…
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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.
Catch Jupiter and Mercury side by side in the evening sky this week - Space
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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
Do you think Japan will have same-sex marriage by 2030?
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
———————————————————————————————————————
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.
Why after 50 years of being straight do I constantly desire to suck cock?
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Which city should one visit between Nice and Cannes? Why?
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.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
———————————————————————————————————————
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.
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
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
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
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.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Now here in this verse
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
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…
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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.
Sain (a barber)
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
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:
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Kabir (a weaver)
———————————————————————————————————————
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
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.
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||
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
=======================================================
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.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
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!
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||