How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 25.06.2025 02:37
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.
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.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
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ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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||
What do you think about me (Aditya Krishna)?
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
CONCLUSION:
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Do you know of a female masseuse that does door-to-door service in Bangalore?
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
What's the most trivial thing that ever made you go to the doctor?
Now here in this verse
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
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.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Does the rest of the world see America as a joke now that Trump is president again?
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
It is possible to remove a voice from a double voice audio so I can hear just the one voice?
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 went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
then who is there to know what happens without?
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ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
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ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
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The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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.
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.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
NOW…
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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!
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Sain (a barber)
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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…
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
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.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
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.
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
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.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
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.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
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ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I am like a fish out of water,
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Kabir (a weaver)
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥