ਕਾਲਾ (kaalaa)
Meaning: adjective: Black.
Quote:
ਫਰੀਦਾ ਕਾਲੇ ਮੈਡੇ ਕਪੜੇ ਕਾਲਾ ਮੈਡਾ ਵੇਸੁ॥ ਗੁਨਹੀ ਭਰਿਆ ਮੈ ਫਿਰਾ ਲੋਕੁ ਕਹੈ ਦਰਵੇਸੁ॥
ਹੇ ਫਰੀਦ! (ਦਰਵੇਸ਼-ਫਕੀਰਾਂ ਵਾਂਗ) ਮੇਰੇ ਕੱਪੜੇ ਤਾਂ ਕਾਲੇ ਹਨ, ਮੇਰਾ ਪਹਿਰਾਵਾ ਵੀ ਕਾਲਾ ਹੈ (ਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ) ਸੰਸਾਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦਰਵੇਸ਼ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਅੰਦਰੋਂ ਮੈਂ ਗੁਨਾਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਭਰਿਆ ਫਿਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ।
phareedaa kaale maiḍe kapaṛe kaalaa maiḍaa ves.
gunahee bhariaa mai phiraa lok kahai darves.
O Farid! My clothes are black, my outfit is black, (and observing them) people call me a dervish, but internally I wander full of wrongdoings. -Sheikh Farid, Guru Granth Sahib, 1381
Message: The True Colour of Devotion
The Sufis wore garments of black or dark-blue colour, the colour of mourning and asceticism in some cultures and countries. The one who wore such garments was considered to be a dervish and practising higher spiritual and ethical values.
Sheikh Farid, whose compositions are included in Guru Granth Sahib, is one of the most revered and distinguished Sufis. Though, he uttered the above couplet in self-derogation, he made a very subtle observation and point: We might externally dress up, act and portray ourselves as pure and saintly beings but yet be full of vices and immoralities.
False pretences of wearing certain colours of clothes cannot make us a true dervish or a true devotee. Only good actions can.
Image: Mevlevi dervishes.
Etymology: From Sanskrit kaal (black, dark blue) → Pali → Prakrit → Lahndi/Punjabi/Hindi kaalaa (black).
