M6:2019 — که مرا پروای آن اسناد نیست / از خود و از ریش خویشم یاد نیست

Translation: For I have no concern for that asnad (reputation/attributions), I have no memory of myself or my own rish (beard/status).

Meaning: This verse describes a state of ecstatic self-abandonment in mystical intoxication, where worries about social standing, reputation, and even the individual ego itself completely vanish.

This verse bursts forth from Rumi in a moment of passionate fervor, where he abruptly diverts the narrator from a story to declare that now is the time for him to express his own inner state. Indeed, this couplet fully embodies Rumi's state of mystical self-abandonment and spiritual intoxication, in which all conscious and social constraints dissolve. We see him casting aside concerns such as 'reputation' (asnad) and 'memory of self and status' (rish).

I have consistently argued that asnad here signifies 'attribution' or 'honor,' and rish symbolizes outward identity, pride, and the social standing one claims in the world. Rumi explicitly states that in the presence of the wine of love, such attachments and conceits become meaningless. He asks elsewhere: "How can the wind of pride find room in a face, / in a wine where not even a single hair can fit?" This rhetorical question vividly illustrates how the 'wind of pride' and self-conceit are utterly diminished and find no place for display before divine intoxication.

Crucially, this 'wine' is not grape wine, but a symbol for that which purges the human being of 'selfishness' (khod-khvāhī) and 'arrogance' (takabbor). As Hafez so delicately sings: "If wine has no other benefit for you, this is enough: that it distracts you for a moment from the whispers of the intellect." This 'intellect' (ʿaql) that Hafez refers to is, in this context, all the false notions and self-aggrandizing illusions a person cultivates about themselves. The mystical wine frees one from these temptations, making them humble and tearful, temporarily dispelling all fantasies of royalty and status.

This is the moment when Rumi transcends the role of storyteller to become the manifestor of his own truth; from narrating to revealing. In this state, he is no longer concerned with how he is judged or what attributes are ascribed to him. He has emptied himself of himself, and of everything that would pull him back to his former self. This immersion in the ocean of love renders him free from any 'concern' (parvā) and transports him beyond the confines of the apparent world. This verse, in essence, is a manifesto of an enlightened indifference that recognizes no goal or purpose save union and annihilation.

Key takeaways

• Mystical intoxication leads to the negation of ego and arrogance, liberating the individual from social constraints.
• Carefree spiritual abandon entails indifference to reputation, social status, and all superficial self-perceptions.
• The 'mystical wine' here symbolizes a transformative force that quells the temptations of the intellect and false self-illusions.
• In this verse, Rumi shifts from storytelling to manifesting his personal spiritual state, prioritizing self-expression over narrative continuity.