How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
11.06.2025 08:36
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.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
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
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Why did Trump call Biden and Schumer Palestinians?
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
What is your review of working in EY?
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Have you ever had a bad gut feeling about someone and it was right?
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
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CONCLUSION:
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Why should you never do drugs? Will this story absolutely shock you?
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Did Trump show us once again that he is a master debater?
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.
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
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then who is there to know what happens without?
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
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.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
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.
Now here in this verse
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥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.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
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.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
I am like a fish out of water,
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
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.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
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
Sain (a barber)
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.
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
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.
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
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.
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 not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
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Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Kabir (a weaver)
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
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, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
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…
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
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.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
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We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
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If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
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ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
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.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
NOW…
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||