M6:112 — با منجم این همه انجم به جنگ / کای رها کرده تو جان بگزیده رنگ

Translation: With the astrologer, all these stars are in battle, Saying: 'O you who have abandoned the soul (jān) and chosen color (rang)!' Meaning: The verse depicts the stars themselves rebuking the astrologer for clinging to superficial appearances and forms (rang) rather than seeking the essence and spirit (jān).

In this verse, Rumi conveys a profound message from the very language of existence. It is not the astrologer who battles astrology, but the stars themselves, the celestial bodies of the cosmos, that are in conflict with the astrologer. Why? Because he has abandoned the soul (jān) and chosen color (rang). This is not an accusation; it is a lament and a cry born of truth-seeing.

The astrologer, here, symbolizes one who seeks truth in outward forms (ṣūrat), directions (jehat), and appearances. He wishes to discern the future and destiny by observing and calculating the movements and positions of the stars. In essence, he consults 'colors' while neglecting the 'soul'. Jān here refers to the inner truth, the essence of existence, and that realm of being which transcends all form, color, and direction. Rang, conversely, represents everything that is superficial, that which is not self-subsistent but merely a reflection of the jān.

As I have emphasized before, one of the most crucial insights in the Masnavi is the narrative of 'formlessness' (bī-ṣūratī)—that this world of forms has emerged from the 'formless'. The stars themselves, which the astrologer perceives as 'color' and 'form', implicitly tell him to go beyond even them. To reach that directionlessness (bī-jehatī) and formlessness (bī-ṣūratī) which is their origin. This call from the stars is an invitation from 'direction' to 'directionlessness' and from 'form' to 'formlessness'.

Rumi links this to the concept of 'thought' (fekr) in the higher realm. He asks, "The star of every thought, it is the soul of astrology / Where is thought? There all is pure light." He states that God is not a 'thinker' (motafakker) because thinking implies a movement from the 'unknown' (maj'hūl) to the 'known' (ma'lūm), and for God, there is no unknown. In that realm of pure light, there is no need for thought or reasoning. The astrologer, relying on his own thought, seeks to discover unknowns through knowns—the stars—but forgets that the 'soul of astrology' (jān-e nojūm) is beyond thought and exists in pure light. He has halted in the world of 'thought,' while where the 'soul' resides, all is pure light, utterly and completely light.

Further, Rumi describes this 'directionless star' (setāreh-ye bī-jehat), which is the Divine Word (kalām-e ḥaqq), and how its light, more brilliant than the sun, influences the 'ears seeking revelation' (gūshhā-ye waḥy-jū), carrying a message beyond form and direction. Mercury, the planet of scribes and men of letters, finds its pen broken; Mars, the planet of warriors, finds its limbs weary. This is a poetic portrayal of the subservience and impotence of the material and intellectual forces of the world before the formless and directionless 'soul'.

Therefore, this verse is not a rebuke; it is a wake-up call. It is an indication that although our intellect (ʿaql) is sharp and inquisitive in worldly matters, its steps falter on the path to the 'soul' and 'truth'. The Masnavi's invitation through these stars is a call to transition from 'color' to 'soul', from 'form' to 'formlessness', and from 'thought' to pure 'light'.

Key takeaways

• The stars (and all existence) rebuke the astrologer (and any superficial observer) for clinging to appearances ('color') and abandoning inner truth ('soul').
• Divine truth and the 'soul' of existence are formless and directionless, transcending sensory perception and outward determinations.
• In the realm of the 'soul,' there is no need for 'thought' (in the sense of moving from unknown to known), as there all is pure 'light' and absolute knowledge.
• This verse is an invitation to move beyond 'color' and 'form' towards the 'soul' and 'formlessness' to connect with the ultimate source of being.