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 khinthaṛi mekhā aglīā jindu na kāī mekh.
vārī āpo āpaṇī cale masāik sekh.47.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1380
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the forty-seventh stanza, Sheikh Farid says, there are many nails on the patched garment, many seams, but there is no nail on the soul. Seams on a garment hold various pieces of fabric together, securing them through wear and tear. But when a garment is worn out, it begins to fray and tear at the seams. Sheikh Farid says so much has been done to patch together this garment that covers the body, but nothing has been done to patch together and secure the inner-being. There is nothing holding the ‘soul’ inside our bodies! No one knows when the ‘fabric’ of these bodies will tear, and the inner-being will depart. These things are not tied together by an eternal thread. One day, our bodies will be rid of our inner-beings.
Sheikh Farid says, many Sheikhs and dervishes have left on their own turn. Even those who used to call themselves great Sheikhs and dervishes, devotees of the beloved One, even those with worldly knowledge and power and spiritual accomplishment, eventually had to leave this world empty-handed when it was their turn. No one is exempt from this reality. When people of great stature and accomplishment pass away, we often say that we never could have imagined they would leave us. It is as if we cannot conceive of their deaths because of how much they did in life. They have a kind of spiritual grandeur that feels larger than life and larger than death. However, Sheikh Farid reminds us, even those who have engaged in deep devotion for the beloved One, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) have gone empty-handed. Will we find a renewed sense of awareness and urgency around our temporality? Will we use this limited time wisely?
