How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 02.07.2025 14:31
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
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There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
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ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
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.
Do all armies have the same rank structure?
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
NOW…
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
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I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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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!
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Kabir (a weaver)
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Now here in this verse
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
I am like a fish out of water,
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
CONCLUSION:
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.
Sain (a barber)
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
then who is there to know what happens without?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
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
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
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.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
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.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
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.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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.
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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 left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
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.
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…
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥