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

08.06.2025 00:08

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

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

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

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.

Why does my cat get anxious during loud noises like thunderstorms or firework displays? Is this a common behavior for cats, and is there a way to help them cope with it?

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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

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.

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I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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!

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ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Brain Uses Separate Synapses to Balance Learning and Stability - Neuroscience News

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

I am like a fish out of water,

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

13 million years ago, this object released as much energy as a billion suns in a fraction of a second! - Farmingdale Observer

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

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

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

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

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

Why am I tired all the time?

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

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

Why do most atheists in debates with theists take Bible verses out of context much of the time? Are they lying maliciously or do they not understand theology enough to understand the meaning?

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

What are some good Caribbean islands to travel to with friends or family? Why?

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

Why do some people tell the girl I like that I don’t like her when I do like her?

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

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

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

What are the consequences of being addicted to something? Is it considered wrong to have an addiction?

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

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.

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

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

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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.

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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 ॥

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 ॥

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.

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

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

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

NOW…

Now here in this verse

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.

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

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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.

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

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,

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.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

CONCLUSION:

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

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

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

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

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।

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

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.

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

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

=======================================================

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||

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

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

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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.

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

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ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

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From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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.

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

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

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

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

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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.

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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

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

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

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

Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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.

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

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

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

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.

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

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

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

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

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

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

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

Sain (a barber)

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

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…