How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
12.06.2025 09:45
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.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
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.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
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ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Is it possible for buyers to negotiate after an inspection if the appraisal is lower than expected?
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?
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
What’s the craziest thing you’ve heard pretending to be asleep?
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.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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!
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
How do I seduce my sister? (I am an Indian) I want to have sex with her.?
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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.
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I am like a fish out of water,
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
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Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Kabir (a weaver)
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
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.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
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!
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
NOW…
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
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 ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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.
CONCLUSION:
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
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ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
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…
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Sain (a barber)
Now here in this verse
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.
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.
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
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.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥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
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.