M1:1557 — گفت طوطی را چه خواهی ارمغان / کارمت از خطهٔ هندوستان

This couplet marks a pivotal turn in the story. After dealing with his human household, the merchant extends the same courtesy to his prized parrot. The question, while seemingly simple and kind, sets the entire spiritual drama in motion. It establishes the parrot not merely as a pet, but as a being with desires and a voice.

The specific destination, India (Hindustan), is crucial. For a caged parrot, India is not just a geographical location but its vaṭan-e aṣlī, its original homeland—the place of freedom, community, and authentic existence. The merchant's question, therefore, is unintentionally profound: he is asking a captive soul what it wants from the land of its own lost liberty. This transforms a mundane inquiry about a souvenir into a catalyst for a message about the soul's deep yearning for its source.