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

08.06.2025 12:31

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

Who is the most trusted person in your life, and do they have the same trust on you?

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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

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ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

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

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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.

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

Is the water safe to drink in England like here in America or is it necessary to bring tablets to prevent any cholera when in London?

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

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

In what ways is modern day Russia similar to the USSR? How does it differ from the USSR in terms of culture and politics?

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.

Do empaths fall easier for abusive people?

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

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.

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

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ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

CONCLUSION:

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

US growth likely to slow to 1.6% this year, hobbled by Trump's trade wars, OECD says - ABC News

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

What role did China play in the signing of the "Beijing Declaration" between Fatah and Hamas? What other information is worth noting for talks among Palestinian factions in Beijing?

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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

Kabir (a weaver)

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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

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

How do you write lyrics for a song that resonates with listeners?

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

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

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

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

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

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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

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

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ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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 have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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

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

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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

then who is there to know what happens without?

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

Now here in this verse

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.

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

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.

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

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.

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…

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

NOW…

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like

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

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

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

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

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

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

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

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.

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

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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

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

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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

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

Sain (a barber)

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

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

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

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.

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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

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

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.

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

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

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

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.

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!

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

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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.

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.

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

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