How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 17.06.2025 10:24
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
What are the causes of over sweating?
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
From 1 to 10, how dark is the Naruto fandom? Why?
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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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ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Is it possible for doctors to diagnose prostate cancer just by looking at a patient?
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
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.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
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.
Why do guys have better skin than women even though women use more product?
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!
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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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
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
What song are you listening to right now? What does it mean to you?
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
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?
Why is the world male-dominated?
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.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Kabir (a weaver)
then who is there to know what happens without?
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
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ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
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
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
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He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
I am like a fish out of water,
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.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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)
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
CONCLUSION:
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
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.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
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ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
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…
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Now here in this verse
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
NOW…
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
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.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
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.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
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.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||