M6:646 — آن شراب حق بدان مطرب برد / وین شراب تن ازین مطرب چرد

Translation: That wine of Truth leads one to that divine Minstrel; This wine of the body feeds on this earthly minstrel. Meaning: This verse profoundly distinguishes between spiritual and physical intoxications by presenting two types of wine and two types of minstrels: one guides towards the realm of meaning, the other draws one towards bodily pleasures.

Here, in this verse, we encounter one of Mawlana’s most crucial insights: the profound distinction between outward form and inner essence, between surface and depth in meaning. Mawlana differentiates between two kinds of 'wine' (sharāb) and two kinds of 'minstrel' (mutrib): the wine of Truth and the Minstrel of the Soul, versus the wine of the body and the minstrel of the physical realm. This is not a mere descriptive difference; Mawlana lays down an epistemological and ontological foundation beneath it.

As I have often reiterated, Mawlana is not merely a poet or a mystic, but a profoundly insightful philosopher. He addresses the phenomenon of homonymy (ishtirāk-i lafẓī), a common pitfall in our perceptions. As he himself states in the Masnavi: Though both may bear a single name in speech, How vast the difference from this 'Hasan' to that!

This alludes to the tale of a generous vizier named 'Hasan' and a later, stingy vizier who also happened to be named 'Hasan'. Thus, a shared name is never a guarantee of shared meaning. And this 'verbal ambiguity' (ishtibāh-i lafẓī), according to Mawlana, acts as a 'highwayman' (rahzan) in our lives. We may mistake one thing for another based on superficial resemblance and thus err throughout our existence.

This is where Mawlana employs the simile of jars: Bodies are like jars with sealed-up mouths; Look, then, at what is held within each jar.

All jars may appear alike from the outside, but one may be filled with the 'water of life' (āb-i ḥayāt) while another contains the 'poison of death' (zahr-i mamāt). The eye that sees only the body (dīda-yi tan-bīn) is fixed on outward forms and superficial appearances, but the eye that sees the soul (dīda-yi jān-bīn) transcends this superficiality and reaches the depth of soul and meaning. This resonates with Kant's distinction between the 'thing-for-us' and the 'thing-in-itself,' though Mawlana's approach is distinctly mystical.

A minstrel (mutrib) here is one who brings joy and ecstasy, whether to the body or to the soul. Likewise, 'wine' (sharāb) can be either the intoxicant that stirs the outer senses or the 'Divine Wine' (may-i raḥmānī) that brings true ecstasy to the soul. Mawlana emphasizes: If your understanding is of Satan's wine, How can you conceive of God's blissful wine?

If our comprehension is limited to Satanic wine, we shall never find the path to the Divine Wine. Mystics use the word 'wine,' but 'how can a thing be non-existent in the presence of the mystic?' meaning that which is truly non-existent cannot be the subject of the mystic's discourse; therefore, the 'wine' referred to by mystics is something far beyond this earthly brew.

Another crucial point is the reciprocal relationship between the 'minstrel' and the 'wine.' These two are 'partners' (anbāz). Sometimes it is the minstrel who draws one to the tavern and the wine, and sometimes it is the intoxication of the wine itself that leads the seeker to the minstrel. As he says: Those heavily intoxicated graze from the minstrel's breath, And minstrels lead them to the tavern.

This implies that the path to Truth can be two-sided: sometimes an inner experience of intoxication draws you to the guide (the Minstrel of Truth) to deepen that ecstasy; and sometimes it is the presence and words of a guide (the minstrel) that leads the soul to intoxication and understanding of Truth. Both are paths of arrival, but 'one rushes to this, and the other to that.' Whoever begins from either path, if sincere, will ultimately reach the final destination, which is Truth itself.

Ultimately, Mawlana extends this dual characteristic to his own Masnavi, comparing it to the Quran: 'So from the form of the Masnavi's words / One aspect misleads, the other guides to meaning.' This means that the outward words and forms of the Masnavi may be misleading ('zal' meaning mudill or misguiding) for some, while for seekers of inner meaning, they are a source of guidance. This is precisely like the Quran, which 'misleads many and guides many.' Therefore, to benefit from the Masnavi and all words of Truth, one must transcend the 'eye of the body' and look with the 'eye of the soul'.

Key takeaways

• Intoxication can stem from both physical wine and the 'wine of Truth'; each has its unique minstrel.
• Homonymy (superficial similarity of words) is a major 'highwayman' of perception that can lead to misguidance.
• To grasp truths, one must look beyond outward forms (like jar bodies or mere words) and seek the inner essence and meaning.
• The relationship between the spiritual guide (minstrel) and the seeker (intoxicated one) is reciprocal: sometimes ecstasy draws one to the minstrel, and sometimes the minstrel leads one to ecstasy.
• Divine speech, including the Masnavi, can both guide and mislead, depending on the recipient's inner capacity and state.