How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 30.06.2025 08:22
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.
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…
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
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.
Usnoflast well tolerated, shows signs of efficacy in ALS patients - ALS News Today
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Evidence piles up that Trump's tariffs are crushing job market - Daily Kos
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Human minds see what we "expect" to see, not what we actually see - Earth.com
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
Colorado has now recorded 10 measles cases this year as airport outbreak grows - GazetteXtra
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
What's it like to have an IQ of 140 to 170? Do people notice you're different?
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
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!
What Happens to Your Blood Pressure When You Eat Grapefruit Every Day? - Verywell Health
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Murkowski suggests she could become an Independent in the right circumstance - Politico
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
What is the meanest thing your husband has said to you?
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Why would my ex block me after I blocked him?
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.
———————————————————————————————————————
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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Is it helpful to justify the reason for a breakup when ending a relationship?
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
CONCLUSION:
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Kabir (a weaver)
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
=======================================================
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
———————————————————————————————————————
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
———————————————————————————————————————
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
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.
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 Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
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.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
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.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
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.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
then who is there to know what happens without?
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
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.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
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
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
NOW…
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
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.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
Sain (a barber)
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
================================================================
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.
I am like a fish out of water,
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Now here in this verse
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥