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

Last Updated: 30.06.2025 11:51

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

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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.

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

What do you think of the Black history lessons in the PBS documentary about jazz pianist-singer Hazel Scott?

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

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

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

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

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

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।

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

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

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

Which sunscreen cream is best for oily skin?

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

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

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

How do I overcome attachment issues?

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

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!

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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.

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I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

How many wishes do people get on their birthday?

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

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

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Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

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The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.

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

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

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ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

Now here in this verse

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

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

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

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

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ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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 not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

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

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

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

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

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

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.

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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.

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

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.

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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

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.

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

NOW…

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

ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.

CONCLUSION:

Kabir (a weaver)

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

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— Kabir, II.57, 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.

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

I am like a fish out of water,

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

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

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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

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

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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

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

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.

Sain (a barber)

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

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.

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

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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.

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

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

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

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…

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

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

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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.

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

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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

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

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.

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

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥