How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
12.06.2025 05:10
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.
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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.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
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.
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— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
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ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
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Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
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ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
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
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Sain (a barber)
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
CONCLUSION:
NOW…
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.
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That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
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.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
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.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
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.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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!
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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!
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
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My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
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.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
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Now here in this verse
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
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 ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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…
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
then who is there to know what happens without?
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
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.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Kabir (a weaver)
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||