How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
09.06.2025 02:26
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Kabir (a weaver)
What is world history that not many people know about?
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Is homosexuality an excommunicable offense in Christianity?
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Why are American women so ugly nowadays?
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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.
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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As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
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!
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
What is truer than that which is true?
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Why don't we hear our own snoring?
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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…
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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.
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.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
I am like a fish out of water,
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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.
CONCLUSION:
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
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How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
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.
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.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
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.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
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.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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.
NOW…
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
then who is there to know what happens without?
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Sain (a barber)
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
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Raamaanand Jee, First House:
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
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.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||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.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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 am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
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!
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
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Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
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.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
Now here in this verse
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥