How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 29.06.2025 16:10
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
If you were to write a book about being a K-pop fan, what would the last sentence be?
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
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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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.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
How do I convince my husband that a threesome is okay?
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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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
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
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Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
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Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
CONCLUSION:
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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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…
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
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ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
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.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
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.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Sain (a barber)
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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 am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
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.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
then who is there to know what happens without?
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Now here in this verse
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
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ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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 ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
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!
Kabir (a weaver)
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
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.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I am like a fish out of water,
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
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.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
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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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326