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.
uṭhu pharīdā ujū sāji subah nivāj gujāri.
jo siru sāṁī nā nivai so siru kapi utāri.71.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1381
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the seventy-first stanza, Sheikh Farid says, Rise, O Farid! Perform ablution, offer the Namaz of the early morning. In the previous stanza, through the example of Namaz, we were urged to practice remembrance and praise of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). Here, Sheikh Farid continues with urging us into action. What happens when we hear the call to prayer, the call to practice remembrance, whether it comes externally or from somewhere deep within? We either listen to that call and act, or we ignore it out of stubbornness, laziness, or forgetfulness. This is the eternal struggle. Getting up one day to engage in discipline, devotion, and effort does not necessarily mean we will do the same the next day. This is a constant commitment. Sheikh Farid is urging us to take care of the time we have, to use it to engage in remembrance of IkOankar. This is the preparation. Sheikh Farid uses the imagery of the day or the early morning to denote the moment of our departure from this earth, as the ‘night of life’ finally passing is a common image. One day, we will go. What will we have to show for it?
Sheikh Farid continues, the head that does not bow to the beloved Owner, having cut off that head, remove it. We are so stubborn, so mind-oriented, so ego-oriented, that we often do not engage in the very remembrance, praise, and devotion that we know we ought to. We might ‘hear’ the call to pray, we might feel internally that this discipline and effort are important, and still, we ignore it. We do not bow in humility. Instead, we are steeped in ego. What does it mean to cut off our heads? This is about getting rid of our egoistic thinking, or negative perceptions, and our stubbornness. If we can remove our pride, we remove our “big head”, we can act on the call to engage in remembrance. We engage in remembrance to continue chipping away at that pride, that stubbornness. Will we perform internal ablution, cleansing ourselves of our negative thinking and stubbornness? Will we remove our pride through remembrance, through devotion, through discipline, and effort? Will we bow our heads to the beloved Owner?
