M6:115 — هر ستاره خانه دارد در علا / هیچ خانه در نگنجد نجم ما

Translation: Every star has a dwelling in the high heavens, But our star cannot be contained within any house.

Meaning: Every created phenomenon has a specific place and boundary in this world, but the absolute divine truth, which Mowlana refers to as 'our star,' transcends all locations and limitations; no vessel can contain it.

This couplet, like many others by Mowlana, reaches the pinnacle of poetic eloquence and mystical depth, articulating a profound divine truth through symbolism and allegory. I believe that "our star" (nā-nujm) here refers to the very same "star without direction" (setāreh-ye bi-jehat) and "oceanic star" (kawkab-e dorri) that Mowlana has previously invoked in the Masnavi—the divine word or ultimate truth that transcends all directions and locations, whose influence falls upon receptive, revelation-seeking ears.

This "star without direction" and "our star" signifies the transcendent and boundless reality of existence. The stars of the natural world, those that shine "in the high heavens" (dar 'olā), each have a dwelling, a specific orbit, and a designated place. This is a cosmic law: every existent, every form, and every phenomenon in the earthly realm possesses its own limits, boundaries, and location. However, the truth of which Mowlana speaks is of a different order. It is "our star"; it is not a star confined to the heavens' reaches with a fixed abode and place.

Why? Because "our star" is the very formless and placeless essence from which the world of forms emerged. As Mowlana states elsewhere, "This world of forms has emerged from the formless." This formlessness implies an absence of spatiality and temporality. God, or that absolute truth, does not 'think' in the human sense, for 'thinking' implies a movement from the unknown to the known. For a being where "all is pure light there" (ānjā hameh nur ast pāk), there is no unknown to ponder. By the same analogy, for a being that is placeless and directionless, there can be no 'house.' A house is a spatial limitation, and this truth has transcended every limit.

In the subsequent couplet, which directly elucidates this one, Mowlana clarifies this truth: "How can that which consumes place enter place? / How can limitless light have a boundary?" Something that inherently transcends or dissolves place cannot be confined within a place. Just as light is infinite, no boundary can be conceived for it. This is a profound statement, asserting that the divine truth, being the creator and transcender of place itself, cannot be subdued by place. Wherever it is, it fills that 'place' with its presence, emptying it of all else.

This "our star," unlike the worldly sun—which, in comparison to it, is as a bat—is so radiant and boundless that it tolerates no framework or container. It is the soul of all stars, the very source of every thought and idea, yet not in the sense of thought as we grasp it in this limited world. This truth is the boundlessness for which our intellects require allegories and images, "to set the frozen intellect flowing" (tā konad 'aql-e monjamed rā basil), to animate and set in motion the lethargic, frozen mind. It is everywhere, and everywhere is its home, yet it is not contained within any of these 'homes' in a limited, particular sense.

Key takeaways

• The divine reality, or "our star" (nujm-e mā), transcends all spatial limitations and cannot be contained within any specific vessel.
• Unlike natural stars, each with a fixed abode in the heavens, the divine essence is formless and placeless.
• This placelessness stems from the all-encompassing omnipresence of absolute truth; everywhere is its home, yet it is not specifically confined to any single point.
• "Our star" is the "limitless light" (nur-e nā-mahdūd) that inherently transcends place, thus it cannot be contained within a particular location.
• This concept reminds us that understanding God through worldly criteria (such as location and limitation) is impossible; it requires a higher form of knowledge.