How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 28.06.2025 04:37
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Why do people with straight hair think curly hair is so easy to take care of?
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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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.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Kabir (a weaver)
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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.
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.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
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As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
What is the meaning of "ero" in Japanese?
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
then who is there to know what happens without?
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
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Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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…
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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.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
What are some common examples of condescending behavior?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Sain (a barber)
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
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.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
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.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
NOW…
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
I am like a fish out of water,
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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 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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
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ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
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.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
=======================================================
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
CONCLUSION:
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
———————————————————————————————————————
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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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 wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Now here in this verse
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
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
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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!
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
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.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
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Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥