How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 28.06.2025 04:18
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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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
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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Kabir (a weaver)
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Is there a specific time frame for therapists to tell their clients they are wrong?
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
What should I expect after a BBL surgery?
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,
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
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Now here in this verse
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
NOW…
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Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
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.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
CONCLUSION:
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I am like a fish out of water,
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
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!
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
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
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
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.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
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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.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
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.
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
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.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
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.
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॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
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.
Sain (a barber)
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
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.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
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!
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
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
then who is there to know what happens without?
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
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…
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
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ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
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.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,