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How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

Last Updated: 17.06.2025 00:43

How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

Ancient miasma theory may help explain Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine moves - NPR

That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

What is it like to use a Fleshlight?

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

What are the most significant instances of romantic jealousy in the Harry Potter series?

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

Why do people stop working towards achieving their dreams?

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

Now here in this verse

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!

Can bosses get fired for being too hard on employees?

NOW…

That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

What are some tips for braiding a woman's hair on a date?

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.

There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

What is your opinion on the band Nickelback? Why do they receive criticism from some people?

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.

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.

What do you do when you are struggling to fall asleep?

Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,

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.

Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.

Why are Korean female leads so angry all the time?

If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?

My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

What are some creepy bestiality-promoting questions obviously asked for sexual gratification?

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like

Why is pornography still alive and not illegal? Why doesn’t the government do about tricking women into them?

I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.

What are the coolest new smart home gadgets to upgrade your living space?

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

Hello I am 17 year old boy and I am interested in transgender why?

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

I caught my husband of 20 years looking at inappropriate pics of women on TikTok or Instagram. I'm not sure., but when I told him he got mad and made excuses of why they popped up. I then told him how I've snuck on his phone and saw what he's been looking at . We had a horrible big fight. I asked him why did he even marry me when I see the type he likes . Nothing like me, I'm petite, blonde and blue eyes. These women are dark haired dark eyed and have curvy bodies, large breasts, etc. I just don't feel the same about him after this. I can't get over this

Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,

Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?

He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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.

Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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…

Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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.

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

———————————————————————————————————————

I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Sain (a barber)

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,

I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.

Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||

To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.

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.

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.

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.

Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.

He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||

How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||

I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||

But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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.

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

CONCLUSION:

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

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

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.

So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!

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.

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||

Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,

ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an 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.

I am like a fish out of water,

I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.

=======================================================

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.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

———————————————————————————————————————

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||

Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.

We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,

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.

Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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.

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

================================================================

All the men and women of the world are His living forms.

———————————————————————————————————————

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||

At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||

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 ।

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||

If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.

There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?

The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.