M1:698 — پیش این الماس بی اسپر میا / کز بریدن تیغ را نبود حیا

Translation: Come not before this diamond without a shield, For the blade has no shame in cutting. Meaning: Mawlana warns against approaching his profound and incisive teachings without preparedness, as their truth unhesitatingly cuts through any veil or illusion.

This verse is a firm warning from Mawlana about the unsparing nature of the truths expounded in the Mathnawi. I firmly believe that the 'diamond' (almās) and 'sword' (tīgh) mentioned here refer to Mawlana’s own profound words and incisive insights. He states elsewhere in the Mathnawi: "Points of wisdom are sharp like a steel sword / If you have no shield, retreat quickly." Immediately following this caution, he adds this verse: "Come not before this diamond without a shield / For the blade has no shame in cutting."

My interpretation is that Mawlana is saying: my words are sometimes as sharp as a sword, cutting and tearing away things that exceed your tolerance and patience. These teachings, like a keen diamond or a sharp blade, without any consideration or 'shame' (ḥayāʾ), sever everything that obstructs the understanding of truth – be they flimsy beliefs, false attachments, or ignorant pride. Therefore, if one approaches these insights without spiritual and intellectual readiness, without a 'shield' of resilience or an inner capacity to accept piercing truths, they must realize that this blade will cut them too. This 'cutting' does not necessarily mean destruction, but rather a severing from what is untrue, paving the way for a new birth.

This warning from Mawlana also sheds light on a significant aspect of his 'silence' (khāmūshi). He himself proclaims: "I am silent from the abundance of my speech." One reason for this silence was that some of these 'points of wisdom' or truths were so sharp and cutting that their overt expression could be detrimental to the audience. For this reason, Mawlana sometimes conveys these truths 'veiled' (lāfāfa-ī) so as not to expose the listener to their unsparing sharpness all at once. This verse underscores that the reader of the Mathnawi must enter this surging sea of knowledge with intellectual and spiritual courage, and with a heart 'torn to pieces by separation' (as Mawlana himself describes), otherwise, they may not be safe from the intensity and keenness of truth's waves.

Key takeaways

• Mawlana's teachings are sharp and incisive; do not approach them heedlessly.
• His words unsparingly cut through veils and illusions, demanding spiritual preparedness.
• The 'diamond' and 'sword' are metaphors for the Mathnawi's piercing and uncompromising truths.
• The blade's lack of 'shame' signifies truth's fearlessness in dismantling obstacles.
• This verse explains Mawlana's 'silence' (khāmūshi), where he sometimes veiled truths or held them back to protect the audience.