How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
08.06.2025 10:01
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
If you were president, how would you make America "great again?"
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
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ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
NOW…
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He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
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ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
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.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
What made you feel satisfied about your life today?
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
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!
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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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.
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 have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Now here in this verse
I am like a fish out of water,
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
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.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
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.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
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ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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…
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
CONCLUSION:
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
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.
Sain (a barber)
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
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Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
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.
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
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Kabir (a weaver)
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
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.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
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 ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.