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.
buḍhā hoā sekh pharīdu kambaṇi lagī deh.
je saü var̖iā jīvaṇā bhī tanu hosī kheh.41.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1380
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the forty-first stanza, Sheikh Farid says, Sheikh Farid has grown old. The body has begun to tremble. When we are so deeply immersed in the worldly, when our focus is solely on the present and our attachment to things and relationships, we lose sight of the passage of time to the point that before we know it, it has caught up with us. Sheikh Farid is having this realization and urging us to engage in a similar reflection. We might try our best to prevent the symptoms of aging through various means. We might do as much as we can to live as long as we can, always seeking more time. However, the physical wear and tear on the body has become evident. Weakness permeates every cell. We are deteriorating in real time.
Sheikh Farid continues: Even if one were to live a hundred years, even then, the body would turn to dust. We can pursue the desire for more time on earth, more time in these bodies, but even if we live to be a hundred, there will always be an end. This body will eventually turn to dust, no matter how long we have been able to stretch our time. So instead of worrying about how to live longer, or how to put off ending, why don’t we think instead about the inevitability of these endings? What if the attention we paid to that reality made us engage differently in the world? What if we became aware and alert to our limited time, and thus to our need for connection with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, the One)? Why don’t we spend our time paying attention to our separation, our longing, and our love for the beloved One?
