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.
kāgā cūṁḍi na pinjarā basai ta uḍari jāhi.
jitu pinjarai merā sahu vasai māsu na tidū khāhi.92.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1382
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the ninety-second stanza, Sheikh Farid says, O crow! Do not peck at the skeleton; if it is in your control, then fly away. The skeleton in which my Owner dwells, do not eat flesh from that. Again, Sheikh Farid pleads with the crows, asking them to stop pecking at his skeleton and to fly away. A shift has happened from the previous stanza, where Sheikh Farid expressed his longing to ‘see’ beloved IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). Now he says, the Owner dwells in my skeleton.
Within this very body, IkOankar dwells! We spend much of our time seeking IkOankar elsewhere—in particular practices, austerities, rituals, and places. This is how we waste our lives away, by not experiencing the realization of the presence of IkOankar permeating our every cell. The fruit of connection is within us. The Presence is constant. If we can begin to feel it, our separation will come to an end. Our pain and longing will dissipate. Even in our skeleton-like bodies, withering away the pain of separation, the Beloved Owner dwells. This body, then, is no longer a skeleton, but a dwelling place of the Divine. Sheikh Farid shows us how to engage in longing, how to pursue connection with IkOankar, and emphasizes that the true goal is to experience the presence within. Will we abandon our external pursuits of connection with IkOankar? Will we knock on the doors of our own hearts, searching for that Presence?
