Couplet 629-639

چند بارانِ عطا باراں شدہ

Numerous rains of reward are raining

تا بداں آں بحر دُر افشاں سدہ

So that the sea becomes the sea worth raining pearls

چند خرشیدِ کرم افر و ختہ

A number of suns of bounty rise

تاکہ ابر و بحر جُود آموختہ

Then the sea and the cloud learn the benevolence

چند خرشیدِ کرم تاباں شدہ

A number of suns of bounty brighten

تابداں آں ذرّہ سرگرداں شدہ

Then created a dust encircling it

پر توِ زاتش زدہ بر ماء و طین

When the shadow of His falls on clay and water

تا شدہ دانہ پذیر ندہ زمیں

Then the earth (clay) becomes the acceptor of the seed

خاک امین و ہر چہ دروے کاشتی

The earth becomes honest & whatever you sowed in it

بے خیانت جنس آں برداشتی

It gives back the same thing without any changes

ایں امانت زاں عنایت یافتست

The earth learned this honesty by the His grace only

کافتابِ عدل بروے تافتست

As the sun of His justice rises

تا نشانِ حق نیاید نو بہار

Till the time, spring season doesn’t come by the order of Allah

خاک سبزہ را نسازد آشکار

The earth won’t allow to show the greenery

آں جوادے کُو جمادے رابداد

The Generous One who gives the inanimate ones

ایں خبرہا ، ویں امانت ویں سداد

These directions, these honesty and these straight paths

آں جماد از لُطف چوں جاں میشود

The inanimate things become animate one  by the bounty

ز مہریر از قہر پنہاں میشود

The cold winter gets hidden due to fear

آں جمادے گشت از فضلش لطیف

That inanimate things become happy due to His bounty

کلُّ  شیئی مِنْ ظَرِیْف ہُوْ ظَرِیْف

Whatever happens from better, does occur more

ہر جمادے را کند فضلش خبیر

His bounty makes every inanimate things informed one

ّاقلاں را کردہ ْقہرِ اُو ضریر

And His fury makes intelligent ones blind

                The discussion of greatness of Allah Ta’ala and subjugation of all the creatures unto Him has been mentioned in the couplets above. The support and emphasis of these contents has been there in these extant couplets, as he states that the attribute of eloquence that the river has got is because it is endowed with the gifts from Allah TA’ala. Thus the characteristic of rivers/ seas of granting something are what they received from similar attribute of Allah Ta’ala. The attribute of generosity that the clouds and the seas have received, as they are providing enough water, the reason for this is the warmth of the bounty of Allah Ta’ala. Thus the attribute of generosity of clouds and seas are due to the beneficence of attribute of generosity and benevolence of Allah Ta’ala. The sun moves and wanders in the sky, which results in the provisioning of light to the world and the reason for this is the same due to the warmth of benevolence of Allah Ta’ala. Thus the attribute of the sun for providing the light to the world is due to beneficence of this attribute of Allah Ta’ala. The earth that accepts the seeds and the reason is that the soil and water have been under the influence of the shadow of Allah Ta’ala. Thus acceptance of seeds by the earth because of the knowledge  is due to the beneficence of the attribute of knowledge of Allah Ta’ala. The soil has attained the attribute of honesty and it become so honest that whatever you sow, you will harvest the same and it does not happen that soil be dishonest and gives you something else than what you have sowed like it gives you barley instead of wheat. The reason of this attribute of honesty of the earth and soil is that it is benefitted and received the same from the attribute of honesty of Allah Ta’ala, as He is just and to be just, honesty is the prerequisite. On the basis of this meaning, the attribute of honesty of Allah Ta’ala has been proved, otherwise there is no such name of being honest amongst the famed names of Allah Ta’ala. Thus the sun of this attribute of justice of Allah Ta’ala is illuminating the earth and hence the attributes of honesty and justice of earth is due to the beneficence from these attributes of Allah Ta’ala. The effects of earth being informed and knowledgeable that earth will not allow the greenery and the flowers to blossom till the time, the season of spring occurs with the command of Allah Ta’ala, like the intellectuals and those who have manners do not speak till the ruler says so. That Pure Existence (ذاتِ پاک) is so generous that it provides the knowledge, which are even beyond plants and animals (plural of knowledge is used here as there are discussion of two knowledges, one as mentioned in the couplet 632 and the second in couplet 635, which are clear from their respective explanations), to an inanimate thing i.e. the earth/ soil. And the earth has been given such an honesty as mentioned in couplet 634 and such a balanced insight (different knowledge for knowledge insight and honesty for action insight). Thus correctness of attributes that has been bestowed contains every attributes that have been bestowed and mentioned above. This is the beneficence of Allah Ta’ala that a mineral (earth) has been turned into like human beings with soul, as the attributes of human beings are apparent in it, contained with the bounty of attributes of knowledge (علم) & action (عمل). With the emergence of these enjoyable attributes of spring, the wrath of autumn, the attribute of wrath which brings autumn, becomes hidden. Because when the effects of attributes of bounty like beauty, happiness and life appears, then the effects of attributes of wrath like fury and anger starts disappearing. Similarly, in technical terminology, this pursuit of contrasting themes is known as tajalliyaat/ advent of names of opposites. Thus that mineral i.e. earth becomes subtle due to beneficence of the grace of Allah Ta’ala as has been mentioned in the previous couplet 637. In fact, whatever happens by the grace of great (خوب), it is actually great. Thus Allah Ta’ala is elegant and graceful with all His names  and attributes and wherever His splendor pervades, everything there becomes elegant and graceful. It is His divine nature that it makes a mineral to become informed and knowledgeable with the advent of His beautiful/ graceful attributes (جمالیہ) as occurred in above couplets and makes intellectuals and knowledgeable ones like blind on the advent of His awe-inspiring attributes (جلالیہ), as they could not see the correct or right directions like Iblees etc.

Couplet 627-628

کیست ماہی چیست دریا  در مثَل

Who is fish, what is sea in terms of example

تا بدا ماند  خدا   عزَّ وَ جَلَّ

So that Allah Azza wa Jalla be referred

صد ہزاراں بحر و ماہی در و جوُد

The millions of fish and seas from the world

سجدہ آرد پیش آں دریائے جوُد

Are prostrated before this Sea of Charity

                     The gnostics have been compared with fish and Allah with river/sea in the couplets above. In order to remove the doubt that any ignorant person takes the comparability in completeness, he states that the what is the reality behind comparing with fishes and river, so that the Allah Ta’ala be referred to. Millions of rivers and fish which come to existence are because of this River of Generosity i.e. Allah, are subdued to Him.

               One should understand that in the writings of gnsotics, oftenly Allah is referred with different things like sun, air, river etc., which is not reasoned on completeness, as some persons understand it and thereby reprove the saints. And some ignorant persons consider these comparisons as described and bring their beliefs in jeopardy. Instead, these references are usually made with regard to certain specific issues like in the extant case, Allah is referred as river due to the reason that the river, unlike dryness, contains one-ness and fish are not satiated with this. Like-wise, Allah has the one-ness (وحدت) and the seekers never feel satiated. Although there are difference between the two one-ness, as the river’s one-ness is additional and external and whereas, the one-ness of Allah is the real one, but the in general, commonality is there for reference. Thus this reference is correct and the justification of such reference is in Quran (24:35):

The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp

Couplet 622-626

زیں نمط زیں نوع دہ طومار و دو

Twelve such long letters of that kind and flavor

بر نوشت آں دینِ عیسیٰ را عَدو

Were written by the vizier, the enemy of the religion of Jesus

اُوز یک رنگی عیسیٰ نو نداشت

He could not have sensed the smell of oneness preached by Jesus

وز مزاجِ خمِّ عیسیٰ بُو نداشت

Neither he had the practice of pitcher of Jesus

جامہ صد رنگ ازاں خُمِّ صفا

The cloths of hundreds of colors, when put into that pitcher

سادہ و یک رنگ گشتے چوں ضیا

Used to become of one color of noor (light)

نیست یکرنگی کز و خیزد ملال

It is not of that oneness, with which one gets satiated

بل مثالِ ماہی و آب زُلال

Rather its example is that of fish and clear water

گرچہ دُر خشکی ہزاراں رنگہا ست

Although there are thousands of colors in the earth

ماہیاں را با یُبوست جنگہا ست

But the fish has revulsion towards the earth

The discussion on topic that there is differentiation in speed but not on the truth of the path

               The title of this para discusses that the truth is the single objective for all the People of Truth (اہلِ حق) and there is no difference in this regard, but the difference is merely on the way of achieving it. Like a doctor, who sends his two disciples to attend two different patients for their treatment, then there must be difference in the prescription of the two due to differences in the illness, but the ultimate objective of both is same to get the patients well. Similarly, the objectives of different prophets  is same to achieve nearness and wusool-Allah, but there may be difference in the paths taken by them. Thus in the following discussion, the stupidity of the Jews vizier has been mentioned as he is putting the religion of Jesus against that of Moses and could not be able to see the same objective of both i.e. one-ness (وحدت). In the couplets it states that this vizier could not comprehend the single colour of Jesus, which is matching with that of Moses, and he was also not able to comprehend effects of the internal (باطنی) pot of Jesus. Otherwise he could have understood that Jesus was not making people against Moses, but calling all of them to the same single objective, which was there in the teachings of both Jesus and Moses. As Maulana states that the effect of the pot of Jesus was that clothes of hundreds of colours, if put into it, are coloured into a single colour i.e. the people of different beliefs became pure and single-coloured (in tauheed (توحید) and became capable for wusool-allah) like the single-coloured nature of light.

               It has been seen and understood by senses that holding on to a single condition or a single thing leads to monotonousness and people are usually fed off it, which is known as ‘malaal’(ملال) in Arabic.  Therefore it was possible for some common person to have doubt that the internal single-colouredness may also be the same. In order to remove, he states that this is not that kind of single-colouredness, which causes boredom. In order to remove this doubt, he states that it is not that single coloredness, which causes boredom, rather it has example like fish and sweet water. The fish do not become bored from sweet water, even though the sweet water does not have different conditions/ colors. Though the dryness of land may have different thousands of colours and conditions, but the fish have revulsion against and abhorrence to the land. Similarly, People of Tauheed (اہلِ توحید) and People of Knowledge (معرفہ) (which are termed as fish in such examples) with respect to their relation with Allah (which are termed as river/ sea in similitude)  are never satiated  and chance of boredom can never occur. The reason for no chance of boredom is that it happens when the desire of one for another is saturated  and this is saturated where the perfection (کمالات) of the beloved is saturated/ finished or the desire of the seeker is satiated. And when neither the desire of a Gnostic never sates nor the perfection of the Beloved can never finish, then there is no chances of ending of desire and instead it is increasing every now and then. Then how can boredom be happened.

Couplet 620-621

تا ز زہر و از شکر در نگذری

Till you won’t pass through the poison & sugar

کے تو از گلزارِ  وحدت بُو بَری

When will you smell the odour of garden of unity (وحدت)

وحدت اندر وحدت ست ایں مثنوی

This Mathnavi is unity after unity

از سَمک رَو تا سِماک اے معنوی

O’ desirer of meaning, move from earth to sky through this Mathnavi

                     These two couplets are in the words of Maulana Rum in between the content of letters described above and the conclusion of story, which come later. The description of Oneness (توحید) is made, as is the practice of Maulana to incline towards describing Tauheed (توحید) on slightest of pretext. Since there were description  of unity and distinction in the above couplets, he inclined to narrate tauheed (توحید).

                     He states that till you move from poison & sugar i.e. this perishable world, means till you remove your attention & desire from these, you will not find the smell of the garden of Unity (وحدت). That is you will not receive the taste of Unity (توحید) as your self cannot be inclined towards two different things simultaneously. When it is inclined towards the creation (worldly things), it will not tilt towards Allah. The taste of Unity (توحید) will not be available till you completely inclined towards Allah. Since there are description of tauheed (توحید) in abundance in Mathnavi and hence he states that our Mathnavi is full of tauheed (توحید). Thus it is required for the seekers of Meaning and Truth to move his attention from this lower world and focus attention towards Allah.

Couplet 616-619

در یکے گفتہ کہ ایں جملہ یکے ست

In one, he states that the whole universe belongs to one entity

ہر کہ اود  و بیند احوال مرد کے ست

One who understands it to two is a squint

در یکے گفتہ کہ صد یک چوں بود

In one, he states that how can hundred be equal to one

اینکہ اندیشد مگر مجنوں بُود

One who thinks it so may be a mad one

ہر یکے قولے ست ضدِّ یکدگر

Every statement is antonym of another

چوں یکے باشد بگو زہر و شکر

Tell me, how can poison and sugar can be same

در معانی اِختلاف و در صُور

The difference between the meanings and words of the letters

روز و شب بیں خار و گل سنگ و گوہر

Are like day & night, thorn & flower and stone and pearl

Couplet 610-615

در یکے گفتہ کہ اُستادے طلب

In one, he says desire for a master

عاقبت بینی نیابی در حَسَب

You can’t succeed in hereafter merely  due to personal good deeds

عاقبت دیدند ہر گوں ملتے

Any community desires for hereafter without a master

لا جرم گشتند اسیر زَلتے

Gets trapped in troubles invariably

عاقبت دیدن نباشد دست باف

It is not our powers to understand the hereafter

ورنہ کہ بودے زد نیہا اِختلاف

Otherwise there would be no differences amongst the communities

در یکے گفتہ کہ اُستاہم توئی

In one, he states you are the master

زانکہ استارا شناسا ہم توئی

As you are the one who recognizes the master

مرد باش و سخرہ مرداں مشو

Be a man, and don’t dependent on people

رَو سرِ خود گیر و سَر گرداں مشو

Go and see for yourself and don’t panic

چشم بر سرِّت بداور از خلاف

Create your own position and move away from contrary

دُور شوتایابی از حق ایتلاف

So that you could get the witnessing of Allah

Couplet 600-609

در یکے گفتہ آنچت داد حق

In one, he writes whatever Allah has written

بر تو شیریں کرد درایجاد حق

That has been sweetened by Allah for you before creation

بر تو آساں کردو  خوشآنرا بگیر

That has been made easy and amicable for you, go & take it

خویشتن را در میفگن در زحیر

Don’t put yourself in dilemma

در یکے گفتہ کہ بگذر زانِ خود

In one, he writes to get withdrawn from your belongings

کاں قبولِ طبع تو ردّ ست و بد

As whatever is likened by you is bad & worth for rejecting

را ہہائے مختلف آساں شد ست

Different ways are made easy

ہر یکے را ملتّے چوں جاں شد ست

There is a faction towards truth for each of these

گر مسیّر کردنِ حق رہ بُدے

If making a way easy by Allah is the criterion

ہر جہود و کبر از و آگہ بُدے

Every one Jews and fire worshipper might be aware of it

در یکے گفتہ مسیّر آں بُود

In one, he writes that an easy thing is the one

کہ حیاتِ دِل غذائے جاں بُود

Which is life of heart and the food for rooh

ہر چہ ذوقِ طبع باشد چوں گذشت

One which pleases a person, when passes out

بر نیارد ہمچوں شورہ ریع کشت

It is like arid land, which couldn’t be farmed and produce fruits

جُز پشیمانی شد ریع اُو

Its produce is nothing but shame

جُز خسارت بیش نارد دبیعِ اُو

The result of this is nothing but loss

آں میسّر نبُود اندر عاقبت

The target is not the one which is easy

نامِ اُو باشد معسّر عاقبت

And the end is bad for such

تو معسّر از میسّر باز داں

Try to differentiate between the easy and tough

عاقبت بنگر جمالِ ایں و آں

Keep watch on the results of both of these