Sachal Sarmast

Sachal Sarmast

Full name	Sachal Sarmast
Born	1739 CE Daraza, Khairpur Mirs, Pakistan
Died	1829 CE
Era	Classical
Region	Pakistani/Muslim Sufi Poet
School	Islamic Sufism
Main interests	lyric poetry
Notable ideas	Sufi poetry, Sufi philosophy, and Sufi music
Influenced by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Farid Ud-Din Attar, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Influenced Almost all Saraiki and Sindhi Poets and many Paksistani scholars

Sachal Sarmast (1739–1829) (Sindhi: سچلُ سرمستُ, Urdu: سچل سرمست) was a Sufi poet from Sindh during the Kalhora era. He was born in Daraza near Ranipur, Sindh. His real name was Abdul Wahab and "Sachal" was his nickname. He also used it in his own poetry. Sachu means truthful in Sindhi while Sarmast means mystic in Sindhi and Urdu. Sachal Sarmast literally means 'truthful mystic'.

He is regarded as 'Shair-e-Haft Zaban' (Poet of Seven Languages) due to his poetical works in Arabic, Sindhi, Saraiki, Punjabi, Urdu, Persian and Balochi to address the wider audience in these languages. He spread the message of love for humanity through poetry.

His poetical works are sung by local singers in Sindhi and Saraiki. His shrine is in the village of Daraza near ranipur, Khairpur District, Pakistan.

Poetry of Sachal Sarmast

The brave speak the truth
Let others like it or not;
For the talk of false friendship we care not.

Sachal Sarmast was an ardent follower of Wahdat-ul-Wujood (unity of existence), an Islamic Philosophy synonymous with Hamah Oost (all from One). 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.
Sachal 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,
Sindhi Kalam.
ko kee'n'an cha-we ko kee'n'an chawe,
aa-oon'n jo-ee aa'h-yaan so aa'h-yaan,
ko momin cha-we, ko kafar cha-we,
ko jaahil naalo zaahir cha-we,
ko shaa-e-r cha-we ko saahir cha-we,
aa-oon'n jo-ee aa'h-yaan so aa'h-yaan,
"what some say me what I am so I am,
some say illiterate openly, some say poet and some magician, I am what I am.
Searcher expose thy being.

Books on Sachal

• Sachal's first compendium of poetry, together with his biography, philosophy, interpretation of the musical modes, and glossary:

Sachal jo Risalo by Agha Sufi

• Study of Mysticism in Darazi:

School of Sufi Thought:

Author: Dr.Sakhi Qabool Muhammad Faruqi: -Sajjada Nashin.: Publisher: Darazi Publications:

• Priceless Pearls Picked from Wonderous Waters of Wisdom:

Author: Dr.Sakhi Qabool Muhammad Faruqi - Sajjada Nashin.:

• SachalSarmast:

Edited by:Tanveer Abbasi: Publisher: Sachal Chair:

• SachalJo Kalam urf Aashiqi Ilham (Sindhi):

Publisher: Sachal Chair:

• Muntakhab alam Sachal Sarmast (Urdu):

Publisher: Sachal Chair:

• Sachal Sarmast (Sindh):

Author - Jethmal Parsram : Publisher-Sachal Chair: (7)Sarmast(Sindhi) Arrangedby: Muhammad Ali Hadaad Publisher: Sachal Sarmast Yadgar Committee.

• Sachal Sarmast Ja Talib (Sindhi):

Author - Dr.Nawaz Ali Shauq: Publisher-Sachal Chair:

External links

• Sachal Sarmast
• Sachal Jo Sindhi Kalam: Sachal jo Risalo
• 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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