M6:1136 — سایسی کردی در آخر آن غلام / لیک سلطان سلاطین بنده نام

Translation: He played the part of a sāyes (stable hand) in that stable, / Yet in truth he was the Sultan of Sultans, bearing the name 'servant'. Meaning: This verse highlights the profound contrast between outward appearance and inner reality, suggesting that truly majestic and spiritual figures may often appear in humble guises, their true nature hidden from superficial perception.

Indeed, this verse is among those where Mevlana delineates the fundamental distinction between outward appearance (zāher) and inner reality (bāten); a truth upon which I have repeatedly insisted. The verse states: “He played the part of a sāyes (stable hand) in that stable, / Yet in truth he was the Sultan of Sultans, bearing the name 'servant'.” Here, 'gholām' must be understood in its Persian sense, meaning a servant or slave, and not in its Arabic sense of 'son'. Mevlana subtly conveys that someone who, outwardly and in the eyes of men, was merely a 'sāyes' or stable hand, was, in their inner reality and in the sight of God, considered a 'Sultan of Sultans'. He was known by the name 'servant', yet his truth transcended this outward, superficial title. This profound insight from Mevlana stands in stark contrast to the 'Satanic gaze' (blīsān nazar), as he himself remarks: “That emir was unaware of the servant’s true state, / For his gaze was nothing but Satanic.” The superficial eye is the eye of Iblis, who failed to see the truth of Adam, perceiving him only as a lump of clay and oblivious to the divine spirit within him. This is a fatal error, repeatedly highlighted in the Mathnawi; an error that not only leads to misguidance but sometimes distances a person from God himself. Mevlana explicitly states elsewhere: “Oh, how many are there whose outward form has misled them, / They pursued the form, but struck at God.” This means that countless individuals cling only to the surface of matters, being deceived by appearances, and in this path, they obstruct their own way and even turn their backs on divine truth. Or consider another verse that says: “Oh, thousands of Gabriels reside within humanity, / Oh, Christs hidden within the belly of a donkey.” All these verses tell us that the world is full of hidden truths, veiled by outward forms. It is our duty, and the duty of the seeker on the path of truth, to move beyond superficial perception and penetrate into the essence and nature of things. This verse serves as a warning against judging based on appearances and invites us to cultivate deep insight and perceive inner realities.

Key takeaways

• An individual's true essence transcends their outward appearance and worldly status.
• Judging based on superficialities is a 'Satanic' shortsightedness that prevents understanding inner reality.
• Many saints and divinely chosen individuals live in humble and hidden guises.
• The Mathnawi consistently invites the reader to cultivate deep insight and disregard deceptive forms.