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 jin̖ī kammī nāhi guṇ te kammaṛe visāri.
matu sarmindā thīvahī sāṁī dai darbāri.59.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1381
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the fifty-ninth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, O Farid! The deeds in which there are no virtues, forget those deeds—lest you are ashamed in the court of the beloved Owner, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). Sheikh Farid has urged us into awareness and wisdom and devotion, countless times. We have been reminded of our limited lifespans. We have been asked not to waste the opportunity of this time. We might, after all these previous stanzas, be asking ourselves what deeds we ought to engage in. Sheikh Farid says it is those deeds that are virtuous that we ought to engage in. The deeds with no virtues only lead to vices and fruitlessness.
We are urged to cultivate virtues, practice virtuous deeds, and change the ways we think, speak, and act because our previous virtue-less deeds will only come to embarrass us and shame us in the end. Let us indulge only in deeds that are fruitful. Let us live our lives such that we will not regret in the court of the beloved Owner, IkOankar. Are we consciously choosing actions that bear lasting fruit? Are we aligning our thoughts, words, and deeds with virtue, or are we allowing old habits to dictate our path? When the moment of reckoning arrives, will we be able to stand without regret?
