M6:327 — زانک آن تابوت بر خلقست بار / بار بر خلقان فکندند این کبار

Translation: For that coffin is a burden upon the people; / These 'great ones' have cast their burden upon the people. Meaning: Rumi here likens tyrannical rulers to a coffin, a heavy load that the populace is forced to bear, because these ostensibly 'great ones' have in reality cast their own burdens onto the masses.

This couplet follows a profound piece of Rumi's advice: one should not be like a corpse that others must carry. A person's burden ought to rest on their own shoulders; one must be agile and proactive, not passive and dependent. Who, then, are these individuals who act in such a manner, sitting like corpses upon the shoulders of the people? Rumi immediately clarifies that the obvious exemplars are the princes and tyrannical rulers. These figures, for all their ostensible 'greatness' (kabar), their outward 'dignity' and 'status,' are in reality a heavy and degrading burden (like a coffin) that they cast upon the populace. This is a sharp, unvarnished critique of power structures and despotism which, in Rumi's view, ultimately devolves into the moral laziness and incapacity of these 'great ones.' Rulers who wish to exalt themselves, in effect, subjugate others and shunt the responsibility for their own lives onto the people.

I interpret this as extending a crucial discussion that plays out not only in the external world but also in the inner, spiritual realm. Immediately after this social critique, Rumi alludes to a tradition from the Prophet (PBUH) stating: 'If one asks nothing of another, I guarantee them Paradise.' This implies that it is not merely about not imposing one's burden on others, but even refraining from asking anything of anyone is a high station. And beyond that, in Rumi's mystical perspective, in the station of ridā (contentment with divine decree), not even asking anything of God is an elevated state. When one's tongue is silenced from prayer, it is not out of neglect but out of complete surrender to divine will. Thus, the act of these 'great ones' casting their burden upon the people is one facet of the principle of 'not being a burden,' which in its highest mystical manifestation, culminates in 'freedom from asking' and 'absolute submission to divine decree.' Rumi contrasts these burden-casting 'great ones' with the 'servant' who 'rides on the ground like a swift horse,' meaning agile and responsible, and who ultimately reaches the station of ridā.

Key takeaways

• Rumi likens tyrannical rulers to corpses whose burdens are borne by the people.
• This couplet critiques power structures that render others dependent and burdened.
• The term 'great ones' (kabar) is a sarcastic jab at false dignitaries who shirk responsibility.
• The idea of 'not being a burden' in the physical world connects to 'not asking for anything, even from God' in the spiritual realm.
• One must carry one's own burden and refrain from asking anything of others, let alone casting one's responsibilities upon them.