M6:2998 — از پی صورت نیامد موش خوار / از خبیثی شد زبون موش‌خوار

Translation: The mouse-eater did not come into being due to its form; / It became wretched from viciousness, the mouse-eater. Meaning: This verse asserts that a creature's descent into baseness and predation stems from internal viciousness and depravity, not from its outward form or original essence. It is an inner degradation that leads to lowly actions.

Mowlana, in this profound verse, delves into the essence of character and disposition. He posits that the trait of being a "mouse-eater" (which can refer to a cat or any being with a predatory, vicious nature) does not originate from one's outward form. In other words, a creature is not inherently a "mouse-eater" simply because it was born with a particular shape; rather, it is from an inner "viciousness" (khabīthī) and depravity that it becomes wretched (zabūn) and afflicted by this base characteristic. Zabūnī here signifies both abjectness and being overpowered, implying that one ultimately falls victim to one's own viciousness.

I interpret this verse within Mowlana's broader discussion on the transformation of inner nature and dispositions. He earlier illustrates how the disposition of a woman in a man, or a man in a woman, alters one's gender and behaviors. Similarly, if Gabrielic qualities manifest in a human, that person becomes light-souled and yearns for the heavens. But if a "donkey-like" (kharī) disposition takes root, even with a hundred wings (i.e., capacities for flight and transcendence), one will ultimately be drawn to the manger (i.e., material and bodily attachments) and fall. This descent, then, is not from outward form; it is from inner disposition.

My reading of "mouse-eater" (mūsh-khwār) here is nuanced: a mouse, a weak creature that hides in darkness, is not a "mouse-eater" merely by virtue of its mouse-form. Rather, it is from its extreme inner viciousness and depravity that it ultimately becomes "food for a mouse-eater" (i.e., food for a cat). This means that viciousness and base characteristics eventually ensnare the individual, dragging them into wretchedness and making them a victim. Thus, mūsh-khwār carries a dual meaning: both "mouse-catcher" and, in the context of the mouse's own fate, "food for a mouse-eater" – a mouse that, due to its own depravity, becomes prey to a cat.

Mowlana further describes the mouse as "prey-seeking, treacherous, and darkness-worshipping," constantly pursuing cheese, pistachios, and grape syrup. He then offers a nobler example: the "ashhab falcon" (a noble, white falcon). If even such a majestic falcon possesses the disposition of a mouse, it becomes so lowly and contemptible that even mice would be ashamed of it. This illustrates that true nobility and greatness reside not in outward form (the shape of the falcon) but in one's disposition (the noble spirit). It is this disposition and character that ultimately determine one's destiny, not mere appearance or physical mold.

Key takeaways

• A creature's true essence stems from its inner disposition and character, not its outward form.
• Inner depravity and viciousness lead an individual to wretchedness and baseness, irrespective of their appearance.
• The mouse's own viciousness ultimately makes it prey for a mouse-eater; ignoble actions boomerang back upon the self.
• The example of the noble falcon (ashhab) illustrates that even the most esteemed being falls into contempt if it acquires a base disposition.