How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 19.06.2025 00:30
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Kabir (a weaver)
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
In what ways is Bollywood becoming westernized?
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
My blog is new. I need 10 article posts for my blog. How much should I pay for it?
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
What is your opinion about homosexuality? Do you think that it is by nature or a choice?
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||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.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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!
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
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.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
How conservative the Japanese people really is? And the government?
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ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
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…
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
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ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
NOW…
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
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.
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
I am like a fish out of water,
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Sain (a barber)
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
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.
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 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.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
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,
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Now here in this verse
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
CONCLUSION:
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.
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
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
then who is there to know what happens without?
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
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.
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore