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

Last Updated: 29.06.2025 01:35

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

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Why did Lord Shiva lust after Mohini - how can he be the supreme and worthy of devotion if he did such a thing?

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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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.

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

Now here in this verse

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

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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.

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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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

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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.

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

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

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

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

What is the dirtiest thing you have witnessed your wife do?

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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

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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ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

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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!

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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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.

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

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

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…

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

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

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

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

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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.

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.

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

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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.

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

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

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

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

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

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

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

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

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

Sain (a barber)

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

CONCLUSION:

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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

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

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.

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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

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.

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

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

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

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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

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

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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

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

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

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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

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

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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

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

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

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.

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

NOW…

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥