How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 01.07.2025 06:04
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
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ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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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.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
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Kabir (a weaver)
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
then who is there to know what happens without?
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Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
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My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
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ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||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.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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.
NOW…
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
CONCLUSION:
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
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.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
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.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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||
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I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
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…
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
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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
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.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Sain (a barber)
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
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.
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
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 have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Now here in this verse
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
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Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
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.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.