How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 18.06.2025 10:29
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Is it okay for me to wear girls’ underwear?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
I dreamt my mother had died and I cried so much in my dream. What does it mean?
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
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.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Can a mother forget her child after she puts him or her up for adoption?
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Why do I sweat between my legs all the time, top off my legs, all way down?
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Now here in this verse
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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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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.
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
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,
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
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 ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
I am like a fish out of water,
Kabir (a weaver)
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
NOW…
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
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!
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.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
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.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
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.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
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
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ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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…
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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 consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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, this is what I say:
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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.
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ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Sain (a barber)
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
then who is there to know what happens without?
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
CONCLUSION:
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.