How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 22.06.2025 15:25
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Astronomers Just Discovered One of the Fastest Jets Ever in a Radio-Quiet Galaxy - The Daily Galaxy
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Watch: Moment crowd boos and cheers Trump at Kennedy Center - BBC
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
10 Must-See Movies at the 2025 Tribeca Festival - IndieWire
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
NOW…
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Trump’s tax bill could raise taxes on foreign companies, hurting investment from abroad - AP News
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
=======================================================
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Can you show pictures of your penis, big or small?
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
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.
What is the best sunscreen available for summers? My skin is oily.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?
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.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Vikingo closes historic Worlds Collide with impressive win over Chad Gable - Cageside Seats
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
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.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
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
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
———————————————————————————————————————
================================================================
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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 am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
———————————————————————————————————————
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
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.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Kabir (a weaver)
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
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.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
———————————————————————————————————————
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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!
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.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
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.
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.
Sain (a barber)
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 ||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
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
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
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
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…
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
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.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
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!
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
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.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Now here in this verse
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
CONCLUSION:
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!