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

Last Updated: 30.06.2025 11:16

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

NOW…

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

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

What ended your relationship with your best friend?

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

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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.

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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

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ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

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

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

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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Kabir (a weaver)

Now here in this verse

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

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ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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.

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

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

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.

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

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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.

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

I am like a fish out of water,

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ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

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.

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

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.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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.

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

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

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.

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

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

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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

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

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

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.

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

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

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

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.

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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.

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

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

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

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

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

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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

CONCLUSION:

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ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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.

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

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

ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥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…

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

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

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

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

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

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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

Sain (a barber)

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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!

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

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

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.

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

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

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

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

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.

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥