M1:2854 — مرد نحوی را از آن در دوختیم / تا شما را نحوِ محو آموختیم

Translation: We drowned that grammarian for that very reason, So that we might teach you the grammar of effacement (maḥw). Meaning: In this verse, Mowlana presents the conclusion of the story of the grammarian and the boatman, asserting that the ultimate purpose of recounting that tale was to impart the art of existential effacement and immersion in truth, rather than merely the grammar of words and appearances.

This verse stands as the climactic conclusion to the tale of the arrogant grammarian and the unlettered boatman, a narrative through which Mowlana conveys one of the Masnavi's most pivotal insights. Consider the grammarian, puffed up with his knowledge of Arabic syntax and morphology—naḥw—who chided the boatman for his ignorance. He believed that true knowledge resided in the structures of words and their formal rules. Yet, when the boat was caught in a tempest and death loomed, his superficial scholarship proved utterly useless. It was then that the boatman turned to him and asked, “Do you know how to swim?” Upon receiving a negative reply, he immediately declared, “Then your entire life is lost.”

Mowlana draws a profound conclusion from this anecdote, stating: “We drowned that grammarian for this very reason, / So that we might teach you the grammar of effacement (maḥw).” To “drown the grammarian” is a metaphor for dismissing and invalidating purely superficial, grammatical knowledge. This act was meant to direct the reader towards the “naḥw-i maḥw,” the grammar of effacement. Naḥw-i maḥw stands in stark contrast to naḥw-i naḥw (the grammar of grammar); it signifies not the rules of language, but the rules of living, of drowning, and of becoming one with truth. This is not the place for naḥw (grammar); it is the place for maḥw (effacement, oblivion, existential immersion).

I have often said that Mowlana was a sea-like man, a swimmer in the tumultuous ocean of gnosis and meanings. The myriad allusions in the Masnavi to the sea, diving, and swimming testify to his intimate spiritual connection with the essence of the ocean. He considered himself a diver and a munjī-yi gharīq—a rescuer of the drowned, not merely a conventional nājī-yi gharīq. He was one who immerses himself in the sea to rescue others from the depths of ignorance. The Masnavi itself is an “island” that Mowlana has built for us in the midst of the “sea of meanings.” But this island is not for merely sitting and gazing at the sea from afar; rather, it is from here that we are to learn the techniques of swimming and immersion, and then plunge into the waters ourselves. Here, you learn the rules of swimming, not just the grammar of the sea. If you are inclined towards maḥw, you will navigate this turbulent sea without peril, immune to drowning. This is the fundamental difference between one who merely knows about God and one who is with God; between pure philosophy and practical mysticism; between knowing and becoming.

Key takeaways

• Superficial knowledge (naḥw, grammar) is invalidated in the face of existential gnosis (maḥw, effacement).
• The ultimate purpose of the Masnavi is to teach 'drowning' in truth, not merely 'knowing about' it.
• Mowlana sees himself as a swimmer and a 'rescuer of the drowned,' teaching the way to live within the ocean of existence.
• The Masnavi is an 'island' to learn the arts of 'swimming' in the sea of meanings, not to observe from a distance.
• What Mowlana teaches are the rules of 'being' and 'becoming,' not merely the rules of 'knowing.'