M6:394 — باز آمد گفت از هر جنس هست / اغلب آن کاسه‌های رازیست

Translation: He returned and said: "There is of every kind, / Most of it is Razi bowls." Meaning: This verse records an emir's report to the king, stating that a caravan carries various goods, predominantly bowls originating from the city of Rey (Razi bowls).

This verse is embedded within a narrative where the king, testing his emirs, dispatches them one by one to gather information about a passing caravan. This particular line is one emir's report: he returns, stating that the caravan carries diverse goods, but "most of it is Razi bowls," meaning bowls manufactured in the city of Rey. The profundity here, in Mawlana's discourse, lies in the king's immediate follow-up. As soon as he receives this answer, the king poses another question for which the emir has no response: "When did they leave Rey?" This reveals that the emir's report, much like those of the other emirs in the tale, is "incomplete" and "weak in judgment." He has answered only the specific question asked, without acquiring a comprehensive perspective on the caravan. This serves as an illustration of fragmented and scattered understandings, which, from Mawlana's viewpoint, constitute a fundamental flaw in knowledge and apprehension. True knowledge is holistic; these emirs, one after another, can only perceive and report a sliver of the truth. It is precisely through such seemingly simple stories that Mawlana delves into the very roots of his epistemology.

Key takeaways

• Partial and one-dimensional knowledge immediately renders us incapable when faced with more comprehensive questions.
• Answering a specific question does not guarantee a complete understanding of a phenomenon's truth.
• Through these stories, Mawlana points to "weakness in judgment" and "incompleteness" in human understanding.
• Truth often resides in a comprehensive perspective, looking beyond mere appearances.