How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
Last Updated: 18.06.2025 00:58
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
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!
Why do our deceased do not protect us from other bad spirits?
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
Safeway workers begin striking in 4 Colorado cities - 9News
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Why do I feel worthless most of the time?
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
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.
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
What does it mean when we dream about demons, ghosts, monsters, etc.?
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.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
What's the biggest myth about illegal immigrants?
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
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
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
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.
What is the best/cute/funny/playful chat/conversation between brother and sister?
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
=======================================================
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
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…
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
The Witcher 4 is built for console first, CDPR confirms 60FPS is not guaranteed - TweakTown
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.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
———————————————————————————————————————
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
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||
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
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.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
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.
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Now here in this verse
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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.
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
================================================================
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
———————————————————————————————————————
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Sain (a barber)
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
NOW…
Kabir (a weaver)
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
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.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
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.
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
———————————————————————————————————————
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
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.
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.
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
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
CONCLUSION:
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
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
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
I am like a fish out of water,
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
then who is there to know what happens without?
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥