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

11.06.2025 03:30

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

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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.

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

Is Veuve Clicquot Brut a good champagne?

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

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.

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

Now here in this verse

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Which bands became massively popular for covering songs rather than recording originals?

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

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

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

Why is my ex still keeping in touch with me even though she dumped me?

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

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

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

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

What do porn stars do when they get old?

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

Whenever I write a novel, I struggle with the end, should I make it open? Should the good win or the bad win? Sometime I don't even have an ending, what should I do?

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

How should an atheist respond to a religious person who asks, "Why do you hate God?" What are some appropriate and inappropriate ways to answer this question?

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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 Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

What are the ten cars that make me no longer feel inferior?

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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

How did your marriage end?

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

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

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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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

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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.

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

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ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

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

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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.

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

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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

Sain (a barber)

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

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

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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

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

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.

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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.

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

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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

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,

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

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

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

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

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…

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.

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

———————————————————————————————————————

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

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

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

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

NOW…

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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!

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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

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

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

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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.

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

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.

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

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

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

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

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

CONCLUSION:

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.

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

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

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

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

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

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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

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.

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

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

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.

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

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.

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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

———————————————————————————————————————

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

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

Kabir (a weaver)

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

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.