How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
13.06.2025 23:56
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
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…
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
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॥
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.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
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
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
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.
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The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
How does a man look at you when he is in love?
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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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.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
He said he loves me, but why is it difficult for him to leave his wife?
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.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Why am I attracted to older men?
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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!
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
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.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
CONCLUSION:
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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.
Sain (a barber)
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
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
then who is there to know what happens without?
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
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Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
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.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
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.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Kabir (a weaver)
I am like a fish out of water,
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
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.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Now here in this verse
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
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.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.