M6:3052 — صد هزاران گور ده‌شاخ و دلیر / چون عدم باشند پیش صول شیر

Translation: A hundred thousand ten-horned, brave wild asses / Are as nothing before the pounce of a lion. Meaning: Even an immense number of seemingly strong and courageous entities become non-existent when confronted by the focused, singular might of a true power, like a lion.

In this verse, Mowlana points to a fundamental and eternal truth, one he reiterates throughout the Masnavi and which I have explored extensively in my lectures: the essence of power and dominance does not reside in numerical quantity or apparent multitude. Rather, it lies in an inner coherence—what he calls jamʿiyyat-e khāṭir (unity of soul/focus)—which is rooted in a divine source. A single lion, with its ṣawlat—its awe-inspiring might, valor, and ferocious pounce—renders a hundred thousand strong, brave wild asses as ʿadam (non-existence). It is as if they never existed, vanishing into nothingness. Ṣawlat is a term describing that majesty, terror, and crushing attack before which any multiplicity pales, much like Rostam, whose ṣawlat is legendary among champions.

This verse continues Mowlana's chain of parables, following earlier examples: mice, despite their numbers, if they lack jamʿiyyat-e khāṭir and himmat (resolve), are nothing before a cunning cat, losing all sense of self at its cry. Or, a vast flock of sheep holds no terror for a butcher; he dispatches them all with ease. Even more profoundly, Mowlana poses: "What can a multitude of wakefulness achieve against sleep?" No matter how much one tries to accumulate wakefulness, sleep ultimately prevails. All these examples demonstrate that in the arena of existence, mere quantity is insufficient.

Following these illustrations, Mowlana explicitly names the source of this singular, overwhelming power: "The Owner of Sovereignty (Mālik al-Mulk) grants inner unity (jamʿiyyat) / To the lion, that it may pounce upon a herd of wild asses." It is God, the Mālik al-Mulk, who bestows this jamʿiyyat—this inner unity and mental focus—upon the lion to attack the herd. This jamʿiyyat is not merely a numerical aggregation; it is an intrinsic, qualitative ability stemming from the very origin of existence. This is the same jamʿiyyat-e khāṭir that empowers Joseph with his beauty, or a girl with a mere ray of charm, to conquer the hearts of kings. This dominance is the triumph of quality over quantity, unity over multiplicity, and divine force over dispersed material strengths. This is a crucial lesson from the Masnavi that we must always remember: true power originates not externally, but internally, through connection to the ultimate Source.

Key takeaways

• True power resides in inner unity (jamʿiyyat-e khāṭir), not numerical superiority.
• A single, focused inner force can render a hundred thousand dispersed forces as nothing.
• This 'unity of focus' is a divine gift, bestowed by the 'Owner of Sovereignty' (Mālik al-Mulk).
• Mowlana emphasizes the supremacy of quality over quantity and spiritual strength over material power.
• The lion's 'ṣawlat' symbolizes the pervasive and conquering nature of cohesive inner force.