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.
pharīdā kūkediā cāṁgediā matī dediā nit.
jo saitāni vaññāiā se kit pherahi cit.15.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1378
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the fifteenth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, O Farid! While crying out, while calling out and imparting teachings every day, those who are led astray by Satan, how may they turn their minds away? In the Semitic traditions, the belief is that after God created creation, angels were made, and then humans. In Islam, the story of Satan, or Iblis, is that he was an angel who refused to bow to Adam out of arrogance, as Adam was made from dirt. The belief is that since falling from grace, Iblis has been working on human beings, trying to mislead them. This is the context in which Sheikh Farid utters this stanza. We can interpret Satan as anything that leads us astray, as the perversion of the mind—vices, attachment, and forgetfulness. For those of us who are astray, no one can put us on the right path or change us. We can be guided daily, we can be taught constantly, but when we are misled, these things cannot take root. Sheikh Farid says that when we are in this state, when we are captivated by the world and its entanglements, attempting to teach us something is worthless and futile. Everything is Divine—everything is of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). What does this mean for us, then?
Only IkOankar can lead us on the right path. It is the grace of IkOankar that makes us understand and take care of what we need to do. It is the grace of IkOankar that moves us into awareness and devotion, from self-centeredness to Wisdom-centeredness. There must be an effort on our part, as Sheikh Farid explained in a previous stanza, but the true determination of what happens is IkOankar and IkOankar alone. When we become like the One, there is no separation from the One’s determination. Will we extricate ourselves from our entanglements? Will we make efforts to stop straying? Will we turn our minds away from forgetfulness, vices, and attachment and toward devotion, effort, and grace?
