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

Last Updated: 01.07.2025 23:49

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

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

Sain (a barber)

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

Can you explain the validity of relativity theory? It seems to me to be untrue, as time is universal, and the time is now everywhere.

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.

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

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.

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

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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.

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I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.

I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.

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

Have you ever witnessed political correctness harm someone?

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

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

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

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

CONCLUSION:

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

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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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

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

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

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

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

Now here in this verse

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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

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

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.

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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

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

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

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

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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…

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

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

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ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

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

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

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

The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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.

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

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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

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

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.

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, unto whom should I tell this?

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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,

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

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

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

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

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

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

NOW…

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.

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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

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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.

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

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

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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||

then who is there to know what happens without?

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.

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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 ॥

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

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

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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.

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!

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.

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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

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

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

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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.

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

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

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