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 sakar khanḍu nivāt guṛu mākhiou māṁjhā dudhu.
sabhe vastū miṭhīāṁ rab na pujani tudhu.27.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1379
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
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?
