The
saloks of Sheikh Farid
Ji guide the seeker toward the devotion of the one absolute IkOankar (the Divine), which is the true purpose of life. In these saloks, Farid Ji shares that our time in this world is finite, and thus, one should immediately turn to the devotion of IkOankar without delay. However, due to attachment to transient things and relationships, many forget this truth and become entangled in vices, leading to a perpetually restless and uneasy life. However, the being who embraces virtues such as remembrance of IkOankar, love, humility, tolerance, patience, contentment, selfless service, and righteous living, experiences the bliss of connection with IkOankar even while leading a householder’s life. Their life becomes comfortable and peaceful.
dekhu pharīdā ji thīā sakar hoī visu.
sāṁī bājhahu āpaṇe vedaṇ kahīai kisu.10.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1378
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
In the twenty-seventh stanza, Sheikh Farid addresses IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), and says, Brown sugar, coarse sugar, lump sugar, jaggery, honey, and buffalo’s milk—all things are sweet, they do not reach You in sweetness, O Divine! Sheikh Farid lists these delicious and sweet things that hold an important place in Panjabi culture as being associated with celebratory or auspicious occasions. These delicacies, cherished in moments of festivity and joy, symbolize the finest sweetness known to human experience. Yet, even the combined delight of these flavors pales in comparison to the sweetness of the Divine—an ultimate sweetness that transcends our human sensory pleasures and opens the way to a deeper sense of fulfillment.
People also seek out these tastes and many more in everyday life as comfort-giving. We consume sweet things to address the desires of the stomach and the tongue for sweetness and satiation. We satisfy one craving, only to find ourselves craving another and then another. But none of these tastes compares to the nourishment and sweetness we experience when we connect with IkOankar. Sheikh Farid is urging us to pursue that sweetness instead, to find comfort in that taste of union. Will we experience the lasting sweetness that comes from experiencing IkOankar?
