How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 17.06.2025 01:07

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
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.
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.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
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Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
The sun's poles have flipped. A spacecraft is watching what happens next. - Mashable
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.
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
What is the dirtiest thing you have witnessed your wife do?
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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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
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Why do Democrats never produce a good argument for why Trump was a bad president?
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Is LGBTQ destroying the world?
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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…
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.
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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.
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
What was your worst experience while living with roommates?
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Why is the world male-dominated?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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I am like a fish out of water,
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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!
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
CONCLUSION:
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
then who is there to know what happens without?
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
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.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Kabir (a weaver)
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
NOW…
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
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— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
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.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
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.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
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
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
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I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
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 millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
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.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Now here in this verse
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
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ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
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.
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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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.
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!
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Sain (a barber)
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
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.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: