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.
ghaṛīe ghaṛīe mārīai paharī lahai sajāi.
so heṛā ghaṛīāl jiu ḍukhī raiṇi vihāi.40.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1379-1380
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the fortieth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, the gong is struck hour after hour. It receives punishment after every quarter. The imagery of the innocent gong continues. Sheikh Farid, in previous stanzas, asked us to think more deeply about whether we are planting seeds of sugar or poison, and whether our labor is honest and ethical. We are asked to think more deeply about the consequences of our deeds. If the gong, hung at the door of the house, is to go through the pain or punishment of being struck multiple times a day, what then of our bodies? What then of the consequence of our constant transgressions?
Sheikh Farid says that the body, filled with faults, is also like the gong. The night passes in pain. Sheikh Farid is asking us to reflect on our actions, big and small. The weight of them hangs above us. When we act without virtue, without thought, without awareness of what each action’s consequences might be, we ensure that the night of our lives will be full of pain. If we were to instead act from a place of virtue, from a place of deep thought and care, from an awareness of consequence, we would spend this time wisely. Will we wake from our metaphorical slumber? Will we rid our bodies of faults? Will we rid our nights of pain?
