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.
joban jāṁde nā ḍarāṁ je sah prīti na jāi.
pharīdā kitīṁ joban prīti bin suki gae kumlāi.34.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1379
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the thirty-fourth stanza, Sheikh Farid speaks to himself in reflection and says, I do not fear the passing of youth, if the love of the Divine-Husband does not go away. Without love, many youths, having withered, have wilted. Sheikh Farid uses the imagery and extended metaphor of the young bride whose youth is passing. If we relate this to the previous stanza, we can imagine the same woman who cleansed and adorned herself in anticipation of meeting the Divine-Husband, only to fall asleep carelessly, losing all her fragrance. In her youth, she had spent all her time cleansing and adorning herself, and the desire to meet the Divine-Husband did not awaken within—not in a lasting way, nor in a way that inspires deep effort and devotion. In a transworldly sense, we seekers have passed away the prime of our lives, fixated on the external, on adorning ourselves and taking advantage of our able-bodied time.
We physically adorn ourselves, and we also collect particular things on a checklist—going through the motions of religiosity or perceived devotion in order to ‘score more points’ in spirituality. We care more about performing religiosity than we do about cultivating a lasting relationship with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). We also might worry so much about aging that we do not spend this time even on surface-level devotion or perceived religiosity. Sheikh Farid says that he does not fear the ending or passing of his youth because the only thing that matters is his love for the beloved Divine-Husband. It is as if Sheikh Farid is urging us to spend this time cultivating that love. The love we cultivate with the Divine-Husband, IkOankar, does not make us old or young—it is the refusal to cultivate that love that causes us to wither away, wasting our lives in separation. For the seekers who are in a way eternally youthful, that love for the Divine-Husband is in the consciousness and in the heart. Will we spend our time cultivating that kind of love? Will we stop our withering away?
