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.
kandhī vahaṇ na ḍhāhi taü bhī lekhā devaṇā.
jidhari rab rajāi vahaṇu tidāū gaṁü kare.84.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1382
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the eighty-fourth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, O current! Do not destroy the riverbank; you, too, have to give an account. Wherever is the will of the Divine, there alone the current goes. In an earlier stanza, Sheikh Farid spoke of the condition of the gong—crimeless and innocent—still being struck every day. This stanza recalls a similar theme. The current flows a particular way, eroding the banks. The current will have to give account of its deeds in the court of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force,1Force, the One). The current is flowing under the will of IkOankar. Wherever the Will causes it to flow, that is where it flows.
Sheikh Farid uses the imagery of the current and the riverbank to help us reflect on how we flow. How do the currents within us move? In what ways do they erode us? How can we flow such that the banks are not destroyed? We all have complex personalities and motivations, as well as multifaceted qualities and perspectives. Some of those qualities or even behaviors might be destructive to the environment around us and the relationships we have. We can be destructive in our pride, in our negativity, in our attachment. Sheikh Farid urges us to think about the ways we might be engaging in a kind of destruction, and to course-correct by being in the Will of IkOankar. This is where qualities like patience and gratitude are housed. The currents within us are constantly changing. The circumstances external to us are constantly changing. How can we flow with that change such that we are steady and consistent, such that we are not causing harm?
