How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 18.06.2025 04:19
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With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
What a list actors/ actresses are notorious for being jerks in real life?
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.
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.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Would you date/marry a guy younger than you? If no, why not?
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Why do men say women hit the wall at 24?
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
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ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
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I feel like my boyfriend doesn't love me. Why?
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
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ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
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
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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.
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.
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.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
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
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
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!
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Sain (a barber)
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
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.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
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.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
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…
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
CONCLUSION:
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.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
NOW…
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Now here in this verse
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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 Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
Kabir (a weaver)
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I am like a fish out of water,
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.
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 do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
then who is there to know what happens without?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||