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How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

10.06.2025 01:57

How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

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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…

If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,

Do you believe that Jesus was God on Earth?

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.

If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?

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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,

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Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?

Now here in this verse

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

What is your secret to glowing skin?

Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||

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.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

How far does good behavior take you in a prison?

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||

What melts your heart every time without fail?

So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!

Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||

That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||

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ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

What is the difference between the Bible and the Qur'an?

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),

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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I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||

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.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

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There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||

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.

then who is there to know what happens without?

I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

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.

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

All the men and women of the world are His living forms.

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,

But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.

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.

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,

Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.

My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||

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.

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.

Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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||

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.

He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.

We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,

How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?

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!

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

Sain (a barber)

To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.

Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like

That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥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.

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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

CONCLUSION:

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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.

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,

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.

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||

Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.

The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||

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.

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I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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.

NOW…

Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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.

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?

Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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:

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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.

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||