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

Last Updated: 03.07.2025 02:45

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

Why does my 5-year-old daughter keep repeating the words 'they will come for us, they will find us and touch us'? I'm quite scared.

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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

Do you want to have an XXX chat?

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

Kabir (a weaver)

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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.

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

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

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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CONCLUSION:

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

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…

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

How can we get rid of viral fever naturaly?

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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

Do you believe that the portrayal of smoking in films and music videos contributes to the glamorization of cigarettes in society?

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.

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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then who is there to know what happens without?

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

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

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Raamaanand Jee, First House:

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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

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!

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

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

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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

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

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

Sain (a barber)

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

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

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.

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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.

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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

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.

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

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

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

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

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.

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

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

NOW…

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

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.

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

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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

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

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.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

Now here in this verse

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

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

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

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

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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

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

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.

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

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

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 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.

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

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

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

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

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.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

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

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

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥