How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 24.06.2025 00:01
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Kabir (a weaver)
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
What should I do if I love a girl and she apparently doesn't love me?
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
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ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
How do I maintain my hair extensions/wigs?
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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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.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
If there exists a “New York of Australia”, is it Sydney or Melbourne?
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Now here in this verse
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
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ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
NOW…
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.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
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.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
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.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
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.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
CONCLUSION:
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
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,
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
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 serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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!
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
then who is there to know what happens without?
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
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
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Sain (a barber)
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
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The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
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ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.