How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
12.06.2025 01:02
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.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
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.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
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…
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That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Who is the most trusted person in your life, and do they have the same trust on you?
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
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Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I am like a fish out of water,
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
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.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
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ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
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He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
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
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
NOW…
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Kabir (a weaver)
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
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
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Now here in this verse
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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!
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
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.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
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.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
CONCLUSION:
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||
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
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.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
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.
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!
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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:
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Sain (a barber)
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Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
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Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?