How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
10.06.2025 09:16
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
What is the problem between Turkey and Greece?
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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.
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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Sain (a barber)
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.
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ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
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.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
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Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Now here in this verse
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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…
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
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.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
I am like a fish out of water,
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
then who is there to know what happens without?
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
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.
NOW…
Kabir (a weaver)
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
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ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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
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ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
CONCLUSION:
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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!
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.
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
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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!
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥