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 kithai taiḍe māpiā jin̖ī tū jaṇiohi.
tai pāsahu oi ladi gae tūṁ ajai na patīṇohi.73.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1381
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the seventy-third stanza, Sheikh Farid says, O Farid! Where are your parents who have given birth to you? They have departed from you; you are still not convinced. Sheikh Farid is tapping into a universal experience—that of losing a parent. When we see our parents age and eventually depart from this world, we are reminded of our own mortality. It is often shocking to see the people we love show visible signs of aging, collecting various aches and pains with each passing year. These are the people who often know us most intimately, who made us who we are, who taught us so much. Ideally, in this experience, we might learn yet another lesson from them—that one day our time will come to depart this world and act accordingly. But what is our tendency? You are still not convinced. Even after experiencing such a close death, we still refuse to act with that awareness. Still, we are unconvinced of the limits of our time.
What do we do now, if we want to live with this awareness that one day we will also depart? We might change our way of thinking, we might change our way of relating to the people around us, and we might contribute more to society and to ourselves. We might then use this time to engage in a deep and devoted relationship with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). We might move through our state of non-belief and non-acceptance into transformation. Will we become alert to the reality of death? Will we act accordingly?
