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 rab khajūrī pakīāṁ mākhia naī vahann̖i.
jo jo vaññaiṁ ḍīhaṛā so umar hath pavanni.89.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1382
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the eighty-ninth stanza, Sheikh Farid says, (O) Farid! (In paradise, there) are ripe dates of the Divine; rivers of honey flow. (Be mindful), whichever, whichever day is passing, that (day is like) the hands gripping life. In Islam, Jannah is a heaven where rivers of honey flow and dates are abundant. But what is in the mind? Instead of running with the desires that cause us to act animal-like, what are the desires of the consciousness? Sheikh Farid urges us to pursue those desires. If we do, the dates and honey we collect will be through experiencing the bliss of savoring the sweetness of immersing ourselves in devotion to IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One).
Sheikh Farid reminds us that time is running out. Every day, it is as if life is slipping away. So let us develop a ‘greed’ for experiencing IkOankar, for connecting with IkOankar, for cultivating deep devotion to IkOankar. The material things in the previous stanza, the essential things to come after life in this stanza, are all available to us now. We do not have to wait for some version of heaven. We can now experience this before our time runs out. Sheikh Farid is disrupting the idea of the Day of Judgment in Islam, showing us that we need not wait for any kind of hereafter to begin pursuing a relationship with IkOankar here and now.
