The
saloks of Sheikh Farid
Ji guide the seeker towards life’s true purpose, the devotion to the one absolute Divine, IkOankar. In these saloks, he reminds us that our time in this world is finite; therefore, one must turn to IkOankar without delay. Yet, attachment to transient possessions and relationships causes many to forget this truth, becoming entangled in vices that lead to restlessness and inner turmoil. In contrast, those who cultivate virtues such as love, humility, patience, contentment, selfless service, and righteousness experience the bliss of connection with IkOankar even while living a householder’s life. Their life becomes serene and suffused with inner joy.
pharīdā haü balihārī tin̖ paṅkhīā jaṅgali jinn̖ā vāsu.
kakaru cugani thali vasani rab na choḍani pāsu.101.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1383
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the one hundred and first stanza, Sheikh Farid says, I devote to those birds whose dwelling is in the forest. They peck small pebbles, dwell on the ground; they do not leave the side of the Divine. Sheikh Farid uses the imagery of birds dwelling in the jungle to illustrate two different kinds of lifestyles: the natural and the artificial. What happens in the jungle is natural, and what we do in the world is artificial. In nature, the birds are free. They live on the ground, in relationship with the earth, they peck at small pebbles and stones to break down their food. They live simply and in pursuit of only their basic needs. And because of this, they never forget IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). They do not live in constant pursuit of accumulation, they do not live in a constant state of calculation or expectation or hope and desire and anxiety. They stay with the One and consume what they need.
In our lives, we may have all the comforts we could need, and still we look for more. We have created lifestyles that have allowed for ostensibly easier lives—we pursue convenience and efficiency to a fault, we want everything immediately and we do not want to leave our houses to get what we need. In all this convenience, in all these comforts, we still cannot seem to do this natural thing of remembering IkOankar. We have created gilded cages and trapped ourselves in them—big houses and big cars and ostentation everywhere. If we consider this world to be a jungle or a forest, then we are the birds who gather what we do not need and fiercely protect all that we have accumulated. But we have the potential to become like these birds who take only what they need to live. We have the potential to live in remembrance of IkOankar. Will we move toward our natural states? Will we practice remembrance? Will we cultivate satiation within?
