Sachal Sarmast
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Sachal Sarmast (1739-1829) (Sindhi: سچلُ سرمستُ ) (Urdu: سچل سرمست ) was a renowned Sindhi Sufi poet during the Kalhora era. Abdul Wahab was his real name and "Sachal" was the name he used in his own poetry. Sachu means truth in Sindhi and Sachalu means truthful. Sarmast means mystic in Sindhi and Urdu. Suchal Sarmast literally means 'truthful mystic'. Sachal Sarmast was an ardent follower of Wahdat-ul-Wujood, an Islamic Philosophy synonymous with Hamah Oost.
[edit] Poetry of Sachal Sarmast
The brave speak the truth
Let others like it or not;
For the talk of false friendship we care not.
"Sarmast" (pronounced Sarimastu in Sindhi, meaning leader of the 'intoxicated' or 'mad') is the title often used by his followers. The title, given to him first by Agha Sufi, a compiler of his Risalo (collection of poems), refers to the fact that Sachal was intoxicated by love.
Sachal Sarmast was an ardent follower of Wahdat-ul-Wujood (unity of existence), an Islamic Philosophy synonymous with Hamah Oost (all from One), and Advaita Vedanta philosophy. The concept of Hamah Oost (all from One) is similar to that found in Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Sachal says (translation by Gul Agha):
There is no other Beloved,
There is only what I see everyday!
I was sitting by the roadside,
When the path became clear to me;
In the palace the Beloved I saw,
a glimpse the Beauty gave;
Through the window was the vision,
a glimpse the Beauty saw;
Take care of the ignorant;
Our bond was made for a reason.
I truly recognized the Lord,
My companion He sure became;
'He is the Creator of all
and intrinsic to all',
All doubts in this perished;
With happiness shall I carry
Sisters, if your trust I have.
All the journeys, all the manifestations
The Dear One's own;
Friend 'Sachal' know this correctly,
Slumber has created illusions.
Like other sufis of Sindh, Sachal made no distinctions based on religion, but regarded love as the path to spirituality:
'Tis not in religion I believe
'Tis love I live in.
When love comes to you.
Say Amen!
'Tis not with the infidel
that love resides
Nor with the faithful.
Rather, Sachal advocated self-realization as the path to liberation. Sachal says (translation by Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani):
O friend! this is the only way to learn
the secrets of the path:
Follow not the road of another, however
virtuous he may be.
Rend the veil over thee,
Searcher expose thy being.
[edit] External links
- Sachal Sarmast
- Sachal Jo Kalam in Sindhi Language & E-Book: Sachal jo Kalam
- Songs of Sachal, sung in traditional style
- Streaming music videos of Sachal's poems, in a mixture of styles, see
- Book containing a biography and some translated poems of Sachal, among others
- Sachal Sarmast
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