How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 20.06.2025 01:36
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
How can I stop overthinking and take action more quickly?
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.
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 would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I'm pretty sure that my dog is transgender, how would I go about transitioning it?
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.
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
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
I dreamt my mother had died and I cried so much in my dream. What does it mean?
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Why do I want to give up on men?
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
———————————————————————————————————————
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
What are the best examples of reverse psychology?
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Why is there so much evil in the world?
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
I've never read the book. What did Dorian Grey do that was so immoral and sinful?
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
NOW…
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
What are the pros and cons of living in Male, Maldives?
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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!
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||
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 that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
I am like a fish out of water,
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
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.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
=======================================================
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
CONCLUSION:
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
———————————————————————————————————————
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
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…
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
———————————————————————————————————————
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.
then who is there to know what happens without?
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Now here in this verse
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
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
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
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.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
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.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
================================================================
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.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Kabir (a weaver)
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
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.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Sain (a barber)
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
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.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
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.