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.
cabaṇ calaṇ ratann se suṇīar bahi gae.
heṛe mutī dhāh se jānī cali gae.77.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1381
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the seventy-seventh stanza, Sheikh Farid says, those teeth, feet, jewel-like eyes, and ears have sat down. The body has wailed: those dear ones have gone away. In the previous stanzas, we reflected on the relationship between Creator and creation. Here, Sheikh Farid emphasizes that the Creator is constant, but creation is not. When we realize this, there is deep sadness—we know old age is coming. We can feel it! Every part of our bodies gets tired and less capable. The teeth age, the feet ache, the light in our eyes dims, and the ears stop being able to hear. There is nothing we can do about this, as the senses are begging to fade. We begin to feel childlike in our helplessness. We cannot do what we want to, go where we want to, hear what we want to, or see what we want to. We cry in this state, in frustration at the weakness of the body. We mourn what used to be.
We also experience death. Our loving companions go on from here, one by one. We begin to feel alone. We wonder where those friends have gone, where those states, tastes, and spaces we once enjoyed have gone. We are alerted to the time passing with each breath. Sheikh Farid is urging us to use our faculties properly here and now, because one day, we will not be able to. We can make the most of our time, our bodies, and our senses here and now if we recognize our own temporality and move toward the permanent Creator. In relationship with that eternal One, we do not regret the lives we have lived, or the time that has passed. Will we, temporary and mortal beings, tie ourselves to the eternal Creator through remembrance, devotion, and praise?
