M6:3507 — در میان قصرها تخریج‌ها / از سوی این سوی آن صهریج‌ها

Translation: Within these palaces are porticos, from every side and direction, cisterns. Meaning: This verse metaphorically describes the human body as an exquisitely designed palace, complete with sophisticated features like porticos and firmly built cisterns, highlighting the intricate and harmonious architecture of our existence.

This verse, M6:3507, unveils Rumi's profound perspective on the grandeur of creation, particularly the creation of humankind. Rumi had previously stated, 'That Architect (God) has fashioned bodies perfectly,' and this beyt serves as an elaboration of that very idea. I contend that Rumi here likens the human body to a magnificent, expertly engineered palace, replete with 'takhrij-hā' (porticos or balconies) and 'sahrij-hā' (cisterns firmly built with sarooj) distributed throughout its structure. This metaphor speaks volumes about the inimitable complexity, order, and exquisite beauty embedded in the design of our physical being. It's as if every organ and every function is itself a balcony for contemplation or a reservoir for sustaining and channeling life.

This precise imagery stands as a rebuttal to any misguided notion of mismatched or haphazard creations. Rumi, preceding this verse, rhetorically questions how God could 'place a cow's limb upon a horse's body,' implying the unnaturalness of such a combination. Could the 'shohreh-zāw' (the renowned and skilled Architect) possibly create anything disharmonious or imbalanced? He immediately answers, 'This renowned Architect is supremely apt in creation.' The artistry of this Absolute Architect resides in perfect proportion and harmony. Therefore, how could His creations, especially the human body which epitomizes all perfections, be anything but perfectly harmonious? No, it could never be so.

Crucially, this beyt does not merely praise outward form. Rumi immediately follows this simile by stating, 'And within them (bodies), an endless world / Amidst a marquee, so many spaces.' This 'palace'-like body is not just a beautiful shell; it is a 'khar-gah' (marquee or tent) that houses an 'endless world' and 'so many spaces' within. In other words, this outward physical body is a vessel and a dwelling for an infinite inner, spiritual cosmos. This resonates with what we call the 'microcosm' in philosophy; this human, this beautiful palace, is in reality a manifestation and symbol of endless internal worlds. Thus, in Rumi's view, the human body is not merely a masterpiece of divine architecture but also a gateway to the boundless expanses of spirit and gnosis.

Key takeaways

• The human body is a masterpiece of divine architecture, exemplifying perfect proportion in creation.
• God, as the 'Renowned Architect,' never creates anything disharmonious or incomplete.
• The intricate complexity and order of the body's parts, like the porticos and cisterns of a palace, signify the perfection of its design.
• This outward physical form serves as a dwelling for an infinite inner, spiritual world, and is not an end in itself.