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 cint khaṭolā vāṇu dukhu birahi vichāvaṇ lephu.
ehu hamārā jīvaṇā tū sāhib sace vekhu.35.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1379
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the thirty-fifth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, Anxiety is my cot, suffering is its string. Separation is the bedsheet and the quilt. In the previous stanza, Sheikh Farid discussed the passing of youth and the withering that happens when we are devoid of love. In this stanza, he focuses on anxiety—an anxiety we all have around separation and the reality of our temporality. He says that this anxiety is what he lays his head to rest on every night. When we are in this state of separation and longing and grief, it is all-encompassing. We are filled with worry about whether it is too late, whether a union or connection will happen, and if so, when, and what we might need to do to ensure that it does.
When our lifestyle is comfortable on the outside, or indulgent in the various flavors and pleasures of the world, the days can feel blissful and full of distraction, but the quiet of the night brings a different reality. It is at night, when we are alone with ourselves and with our thoughts, that we might realize how much pain we are in. We might feel the reality of that separation more viscerally, such that the separation is what envelops us as if it is the sheet and the quilt. Sheikh Farid addresses IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) directly and says, Look at my state! The sadness is my cot, the suffering is the string that strings the cot, the separation is covering me. This is the situation we are all in. This longing is what makes all things uncomfortable and painful. Will we make an effort to connect with IkOankar? Will we finally find comfort in sleep, rather than pain? Will we experience connection rather than separation?
