How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
15.06.2025 05:33
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
What makes outside showers appealing? Why are they not commonly seen?
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
How does it feel to watch your wife get fucked hard?
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
NOW…
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.
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Why are European countries warning European travelers to be careful traveling to the United States?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Have you ever had your crush reject you, and then later you all dated and married?
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
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.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
Why do diabetic people sweat so much?
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
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
Auto-Parts Bankruptcy Is the First Big Casualty of Tariff War - WSJ
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Why am I so wanting to suck a penis?
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
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.
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.
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Kabir (a weaver)
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Now here in this verse
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
then who is there to know what happens without?
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
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.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
================================================================
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
———————————————————————————————————————
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
CONCLUSION:
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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.
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.
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
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!
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
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 am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
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.
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
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.
———————————————————————————————————————
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
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 look at the views of Sant Kabir
=======================================================
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
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.
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.
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
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 ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Sain (a barber)
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
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 ॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
———————————————————————————————————————
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
I am like a fish out of water,
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
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
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.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ