Ajey so Rabb na bahuriyo dekh bandey ke bhaag -Shalok Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji – Ang 1382

Shalok Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji

Sloks 90, 91 and 92.

Bhagat Ji in the first Slok says:

“Fareeda tann sukaa pinjar theea taliyaan khundeh kaag;
Ajey so Rabb na bahuriyo dekh bandey ke bhaag”

My body is withered like a skeleton, and crows are pecking at my palms;
Despite my sorry state, God has not yet come to help me; this is the fate of all mortals.”

In SGGS Ji, the word “kaanga,” “kaa,” or “kaag” is used for crow or raven. The colour of these birds is black.
Black is associated with sin, paap.

At Angg 848, Guru Arjun Dev Ji tells us.
“Prabh bhagat vashall na seveyi kaayan kakk grasna Raam.”

(One who does not serve the Lord, (who loves His saints), such a person has his body pecked at by crows).

That is the literal translation. Crows here refers to vishay vikaar; paap. These sins will literally consume your body from within.

In Slok 91, the imagery of the crow (vikaar) is used again.

“Kaanga karang dhandholia sagla khaaya maas; Eh doye naina mat shoho Pir dekhan ki aas.”

(The crows (sins) have searched my skeleton and eaten away all my flesh; yet I beseech you, do not touch these eyes as I wish to see my Lord).

Bhagat Ji is describing man’s condition. Yes. I have sinned terribly, but I still harbour hopes of salvation; I have hopes of seeing my Lord.

In the 3rd Slok about crows (sins), Bhagat Ji says:

“Kaanga choond na pinjraa; bassey ta uddar jaaye; Jit pinjre mera Saho vassay maas na tiduu khaye.”

(O crow do not peck at my skeleton; if you have landed on it do fly away;
I do not want you to eat the flesh from the skeleton (body cage), in which my Beloved Husband resides)

This is close to Guru J’s Shabad where we are told:

“Nass vanjho kilvikho Karta ghar aaya” (Ang 460).

Run away O sins, the Lord is now abiding in my inner home.

Shabad Viakhya by Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji

Shabad Kirtan available on YouTube