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 nanḍhī kantu na rāvio vaḍī thī muīāsu.
dhan kūkeṁdī gor meṁ tai sah nā milīāsu.54.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1380
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the fifty-fourth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, The young woman who did not enjoy the Husband; having grown old, she died. The woman cries out in the grave that she could not meet that Husband. All of us beings, all of us seekers, are described as young women. Sufis, too, have a tradition of presenting themselves as women or brides in much of their devotional poetry. Sheikh Farid says we are new or inexperienced seekers, who in our youth did not enjoy the bliss of union with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). Because we missed this opportunity, we cry out in the grave. When our lives have passed us by and we realize how much time we wasted, we wail. We wail because we finally understand that we could have been in connection with IkOankar; we could have experienced the Presence of IkOankar while we were young, capable, and full of life.
This is also about Sheikh Farid’s condition! This is a reflection on how he has used his time and an invitation for us to reflect on how we have used our time thus far. We know that this time is limited, and that this opportunity is rare, so we ought to devote ourselves to IkOankar now. We ought to enjoy that connection now. We ought to do it while we still can, so that we will not come to regret it later. Will we spend our youth on devotion? Or will we find ourselves crying out in regret?
