How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
08.06.2025 04:21
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.
Kabir (a weaver)
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
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ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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…
Sain (a barber)
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
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ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
What are some ways to drive women crazy while many men don't know?
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Can you explain the difference between God and atma according to the Bhagavad-Gita?
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
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I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
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ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
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 went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
NOW…
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
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.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
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.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
— 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!
Now here in this verse
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
I am like a fish out of water,
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
CONCLUSION:
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
then who is there to know what happens without?
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
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.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
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.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
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.
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.
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.
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.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥