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

14.06.2025 09:08

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

I am like a fish out of water,

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

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

Why do men prefer low-maintanence women?

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

How do so-called Religious/Christian people really think homosexuality is even a sin? That would be nonsense. In fact, LGBT people need love instead of contempt/hatred. The word Homosexual didn't appear until the 1850s.

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

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

What is the best way to get revenge on people who hurt you?

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— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

Why do women change that much more with age?

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

What are the extra benefits of a smart TV?

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

When will dating stop being so hard for Gen Z?

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

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…

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

Nintendo Switch 2 races to record sales, driven by Mario Kart World's blockbuster debut - ABC News

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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

How do the youth in Taiwan perceive their national identity in relation to China?

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

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

How many wishes do people get on their birthday?

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

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

What can you do if someone makes a false accusation against you?

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

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.

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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.

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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.

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

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

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

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

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

then who is there to know what happens without?

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.

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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

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

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

CONCLUSION:

NOW…

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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.

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

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

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

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

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

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.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

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

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.

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

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!

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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.

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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

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

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

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

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

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

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

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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.

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

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

———————————————————————————————————————

Now here in this verse

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

———————————————————————————————————————

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

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

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

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

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

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.

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

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.

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

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

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

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

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

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

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

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

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

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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

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,

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

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

Sain (a barber)

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

Kabir (a weaver)

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.

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

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

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

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

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

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥