How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 22.06.2025 13:34
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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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Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
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.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
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ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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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.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
If there is an abandoned house with no owner, can I live in it?
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
then who is there to know what happens without?
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Why doesn’t the UK change their flag?
NOW…
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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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…
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
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ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
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
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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.
Sain (a barber)
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Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
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
I am like a fish out of water,
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
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.
Now here in this verse
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
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.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
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.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
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That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
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!
Kabir (a weaver)
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
CONCLUSION:
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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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Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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!
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
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.