How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
12.06.2025 01:48
NOW…
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
President Xi Jinping Speaks with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on the Phone - fmprc.gov.cn
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
A year later, Trump continues to appeal his historic criminal case. Here's what we know - NPR
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
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.
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
This Type of Fiber Could Have Weight Loss Benefits Similar to Ozempic - ScienceAlert
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Scientists discover a 33-foot Jurassic giant, twice as big as its cousin - Earth.com
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
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
‘Godfather’ of AI Yoshua Bengio says latest models lie to users - Financial Times
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Debunking 5 myths about when your devices get wet - The Conversation
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
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…
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
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 am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
=======================================================
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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.
================================================================
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
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
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
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.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Sain (a barber)
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
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.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
———————————————————————————————————————
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
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.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
CONCLUSION:
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
then who is there to know what happens without?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
Now here in this verse
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
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.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
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.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Kabir (a weaver)
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.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
———————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
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.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92