How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 23.06.2025 00:24
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.
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I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Sain (a barber)
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
What is the reason for the high rate of unmarried individuals in America, particularly among males?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
What is world history that not many people know about?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Why is my Whirlpool fridge not cooling but the freezer works? What is the solution?
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
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I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
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ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Why do older siblings always hate younger siblings?
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Which IT career path involves little to no coding?
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Kabir (a weaver)
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
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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!
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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.
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With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
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Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
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
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
then who is there to know what happens without?
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
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Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Now here in this verse
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
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.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
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.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
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.
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All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
NOW…
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
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ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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.
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 am like a fish out of water,
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
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.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
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…
CONCLUSION:
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
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.
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
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
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
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.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||