How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 18.06.2025 04:44
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
How do the youth in Taiwan perceive their national identity in relation to China?
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
What made you feel disgusted today?
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
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ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Why is Harley-Davidson dropping diversity initiatives after the right-wing anti-DEI campaign?
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
What story do you have involving a public restroom?
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.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
What does it feel like wearing tights?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
How much stronger is an average man than an average woman?
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Is it ok for someone to crossdress in public?
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
How long would you let a homeless friend stay at your house?
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Kabir (a weaver)
NOW…
Why do wives cheat with black guys?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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.
How would you feel if your girlfriend had dick pics on her phone?
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.
Sain (a barber)
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Now here in this verse
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I am like a fish out of water,
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
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…
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
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ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
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 left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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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.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
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
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
then who is there to know what happens without?
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
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We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
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!
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
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
CONCLUSION:
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.