How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 28.06.2025 00:21
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
CONCLUSION:
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The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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…
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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.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Why are men so attracted to big breasts?
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Why is China the first in the world to counter the "reciprocal tariff"?
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
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I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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,
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Now here in this verse
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.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
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),
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
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 Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Kabir (a weaver)
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
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.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
NOW…
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!
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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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)
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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.
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
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
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Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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.
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 do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore