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.
jāṁ kuārī tā cāu vīvāhī tāṁ māmale.
pharīdā eho pachotāu vati kuārī na thīai.63.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1381
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the sixty-third stanza, Sheikh Farid continues to speak about the human-bride or the seeker and says, When she was unmarried, then there was excitement; when she got married, then entanglements fell upon her. O Farid! This alone is the regret; she cannot become unmarried again. This extended metaphor from the last stanza, around the seekers as human-brides, is carried into this stanza. When we are unmarried, we wish to be married. Even when we are engaged, there is a great deal of excitement and enjoyment surrounding that time. There is celebration and anticipation of the eventual marriage. But when the marriage actually happens, when this is no longer something we look forward to, but rather something that has already passed, we are presented with the reality that the marriage was not some ending point. Marriage brings companionship with the spouse, but it also brings with it other entanglements—in-laws and new family members, new dynamics, new obligations, new responsibilities, and new things that require resolving. Things become much more complex.
Similarly, when we are new seekers, we yearn for connection with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). We look forward to that union. But once that union happens, we realize very quickly that a relationship with IkOankar requires ongoing effort, discipline, and devotion. We do not experience union as a kind of final achievement, but as a kind of thing that must be grown, nurtured, and maintained. We come to understand that this relationship itself ebbs and flows. The path of the seeker is not easy—it requires a kind of steadiness that must be cultivated through time, through multiple transitions. It is easier to be in love, but it is challenging to remain in love. We become careless, lazy, and ignorant; we become forgetful and disconnected. Will we find bliss even after the first moment of connection? Will we move with the ebbs and flows? Will we nurture this relationship with devotion, discipline, and care?
