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

Last Updated: 22.06.2025 00:51

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

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.

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

Why do Muslims not get HIV/AIDS in spite of having 4 wives and multiple relationships?

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

What it is like to have sex with a relative woman?

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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.

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You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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.

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

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

What do you think about wearing sheer pantyhose?

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

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

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

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

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

What is the happy reality of our generation?

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

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.

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I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

Now here in this verse

NOW…

I told my 13-year-old daughter that she should never start a fight, but has my permission to end it. She got suspended for ending a fight that some other girl picked with her by hitting her then retreating. How do I handle the school’s response?

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

Can you share the entire summary of your spiritual life?

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

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

Sain (a barber)

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

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

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 ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

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

Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||

He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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

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.

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

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

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

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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

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.

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

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ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

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

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

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.

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

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

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

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

Kabir (a weaver)

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.

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;

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

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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

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

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

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

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

================================================================

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

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

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

I am like a fish out of water,

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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.

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

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.

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

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

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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.

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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…

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

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

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

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

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

CONCLUSION:

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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.

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

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

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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.

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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

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

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

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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.