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

12.06.2025 07:56

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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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.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

Why do we often have strong feelings for our twin flames, even if they don't feel the same way? Is there a way to make them realize their true feelings for us?

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

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ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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.

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

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

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

Does centrifugal force teach us about gravity?

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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

Kabir (a weaver)

I see ugly guys dating gorgeous, "hot" women all the time. I, too, am not very attractive but I'm not doing well with the ladies. What's their secret?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

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

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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 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.

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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

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

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

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

NOW…

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

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

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

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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!

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

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.

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

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

CONCLUSION:

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

I am like a fish out of water,

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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…

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

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.

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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.

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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

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

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

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.

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

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

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

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

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

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.

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

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

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

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

Sain (a barber)

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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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

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

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

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.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

Now here in this verse

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

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

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

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

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

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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

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

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

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.

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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

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

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.

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

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

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

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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.

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

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

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

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

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

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?