How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 18.06.2025 03:47
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Would you join a gym or workout at home and why?
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
What is the typical mentality of the Indian society?
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Why does my mother care about my sister more than me?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
When you visit a store, do you go to shop or buy?
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
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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…
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.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
What is the dirtiest city in India?
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
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
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Why did Obito, a supposed "bad person," do good things for Kakashi?
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
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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.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
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.
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
I am like a fish out of water,
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
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.
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
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!
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
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.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
NOW…
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Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Now here in this verse
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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.
Sain (a barber)
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
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.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
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.
then who is there to know what happens without?
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.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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,
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
Kabir (a weaver)
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
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All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
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.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
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.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
CONCLUSION:
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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