M6:661 — آن سر میدان و این پایان اوست / دل شده چون گوی در چوگان اوست

Translation: That is the start of the field, and this its end; The heart has become like a polo-ball in His mallet. Meaning: This couplet illustrates the heart's complete surrender within the vast field of existence, depicting it as a polo ball entirely subject to the will and play of the Beloved.

Here, Rumi delves into one of his deepest insights, one that speaks both to the relationship between the seeker and the Beloved, and to the mechanism by which divine words impact diverse souls.

This couplet immediately follows Rumi's crucial discussion on how "homonymy [اشتراک لفظ] is always a highwayman." Words and appearances, he suggests, are like jars; some may contain the water of life, others the poison of death. Their exteriors might be identical, but their essences radically differ. This is the very mystery found in the Quran: "He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby." The divine word, much like the Masnavi, guides some while misleading others. Why? Because the outcome depends entirely on the inner state of the receiver.

Rumi had introduced the imagery of the "musician and wine" [مطرب و شراب]; these two are "partners" [انباز]. Sometimes the musician calls us to wine, and sometimes the act of wine-drinking leads us to the musician. But ultimately, in whose hands lies the destiny of the heart? When Rumi states, "That is the start of the field, and this its end," he eloquently speaks of the Beloved's boundless and pervasive domain. What is this "field"? It is the arena of life, of spiritual journey, of love itself. The beginning and end of this field are entirely within His grasp. He is present everywhere.

And it is here that the unparalleled imagery of the "ball in the polo mallet" [گوی در چوگان] comes into play. The seeker's heart, the lover's heart, in this vast field, is nothing more than a ball. A ball that has relinquished its own agency and surrendered itself completely to the mallet-wielder, the sole player on the field. This is a profound symbol of absolute submission – a submission born not of weakness, but of a recognition of the Beloved's infinite power and one's own inherent incapacity. Here, the heart neither resists nor asserts its own will; rather, like a ball, it moves and comes wherever the mallet desires. This is the ultimate state of contentment and annihilation in the will of the Divine.

As Rumi states elsewhere, "Whatever is in the head, the ear goes there." That is, our perception and understanding are conditioned by our inner disposition and state. If one's head is dominated by "bile" [صفرا], meaning anger and wrath, that very perception transforms into "melancholy" [سودا]. This shows not only how we view the world but also how our psychological reactions unfold. The ball-like heart, though without agency, is a mirror reflecting the totality of existence, where the Beloved manifests. This heart is surrendered; it is pure surrender before the power of the primordial player.

Key takeaways

• The seeker's heart is entirely surrendered to the Beloved's will, moving like a polo ball on the field of existence, devoid of its own volition.
• The entire field of existence, from its beginning to its end, is under the control and will of the singular, ultimate Player.
• This couplet emphasizes that the quality of words' and inspirations' impact depends on the inner state and disposition of the recipient.
• Similar to the Quran being both a guide and a misleader, any profound truth can have differing effects on various hearts.
• The heart's complete surrender to the Beloved's desire represents the pinnacle of love and self-recognition before divine, boundless power.