How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
13.06.2025 00:07
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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…
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
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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.
Sain (a barber)
What is the reason behind some people wearing trunks instead of speedos when swimming in pools?
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Why was the rock band Kiss so successful?
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
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.
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
When gallery photos are deleted at the same time, why are Google photos also deleted?
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
What melts your heart every time without fail?
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
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.
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
Isn't it a turn on to have sex with a girl in a skirt or in a tight spandex?
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
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.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
As a teacher, what's the most inappropriate experience you've had with a student?
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
If an abortion doesn’t affect you, why do people make it a big deal?
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
Here’s why exercise is so important if you’re a cancer survivor - The Washington Post
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
What do you think, TikTok is nothing but another porn site? Do you agree or not? Why?
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
If you received hand-me-downs as a child, how did they make you feel?
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
NOW…
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Now here in this verse
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
then who is there to know what happens without?
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
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I am like a fish out of water,
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
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.
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
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.
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.
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
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.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
CONCLUSION:
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
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I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
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.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
Kabir (a weaver)
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
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Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
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.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
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.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
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.
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
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.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
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!
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
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.
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
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ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
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
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
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.
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥