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

Last Updated: 24.06.2025 00:40

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

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

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

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

How do you deal with neighbors who are always telling you what to do?

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

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

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

What are some downsides to living in Newfoundland and Labrador (besides the weather)?

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

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

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

What are some dirty secrets of Indian (Bollywood, etc.) actors and actresses?

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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

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ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

What is unattractive about a nice guy? Why do some women don’t choose nice guys?

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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

How was your first cuckolding experience as a husband?

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

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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ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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

then who is there to know what happens without?

If I want to grow muscles, is taking creatine a must or can I take whey protein only?

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

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

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

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

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

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

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

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

Sain (a barber)

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

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…

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.

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

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

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

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

CONCLUSION:

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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.

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

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

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

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

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.

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

———————————————————————————————————————

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

Kabir (a weaver)

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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.

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

———————————————————————————————————————

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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!

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

================================================================

Now here in this verse

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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.

———————————————————————————————————————

I am like a fish out of water,

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.

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

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

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

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

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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 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.

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

=======================================================

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

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.

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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.

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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

NOW…

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;