M6:4004 — کشتنی به از هزاران زندگی / سلطنت‌ها مردهٔ این بندگی

Translation: One perishing is better than a thousand lives; / All sovereignties are dead to this servitude. Meaning: This verse conveys that dying to the self in the path of true love is of greater worth than a thousand ordinary lives or worldly powers, and that loving servitude is, paradoxically, the pinnacle of sovereignty and freedom.

This verse is one of the profound gems of the Mathnawi, laying bare Mawlana’s deep perspective on the nature of love and existence. He declares: “One perishing is better than a thousand lives; / All sovereignties are dead to this servitude.” Unquestionably, Mawlana is not speaking of physical death here; he refers to the 'voluntary death,' or the 'annihilation of the ego' (fanā-yi nafs). It is a death that occurs before natural death, a death that bestows eternal life. This 'perishing' (koshtani) means liberation from the bondage of egoism, from the prison of the 'I' and 'mineness.' The 'thousand lives' mentioned in the verse refer to lives spent in heedlessness, self-worship, and unawareness of love's truth; these are lives that, in the mystic's view, are actually 'dead,' for the true spirit within them has not awakened. Mawlana often alludes to this truth, saying: “Why did love from the first bleed so? / So that all outsiders might flee and go?” This implies that love initially presents a harsh, 'bloodthirsty' countenance, so that the unworthy may flee, and only the pure of heart remain. This 'bloodletting' is precisely the slaying of the commanding self (nafs-i ammāra) and self-centeredness, which is a prerequisite for entering the sanctuary of love.

Mawlana then adds: “All sovereignties are dead to this servitude.” This statement is paradoxical. How can sovereignties be dead in the face of servitude? From the mystical perspective, loving servitude (bandagi) does not signify humility or weakness, but rather the pinnacle of power and free will. One who is a captive of their own ego, even if they possess worldly sovereignty, is in truth a slave to their own desires and delusions. But one who enters the bond of love and surrenders their will to the Beloved becomes free from all constraints. This servitude is the essence of freedom; this humility is the essence of kingship. In this station, the seeker empties themselves of 'self' and flees from the 'I' to be filled by the 'He.' This is what Hafez proclaims: “Beneath the sword of His sorrow one must dance / For whoever is slain by Him has a good end.” This 'slaying' and this 'servitude' are of the same essence, and both pave the way for union.

The 'servitude' of which Mawlana speaks bears no relation to the egoism we observe in the worldly realm. Mawlana recalls the story of Khajeh Hasan of Nishapur, who, to be free from self-regard, was compelled to carry sheep intestines on his head and parade through the market. These are all instances of this 'servitude' that dismantles all the false 'sovereignties' of the ego. Mysticism is the knowing of secrets, and love itself is a secret; a secret 'fraught with peril and formidable,' which can only be unveiled through inner experience, not by intellect and argumentation. This perishing and this servitude are the gateway to that singular secret, a secret that transforms one's being and brings one to the station of the 'other self.'

Key takeaways

• Voluntary death (annihilation of the ego) is superior to a thousand heedless lives; this death bestows true life.
• Love initially presents a harsh face, demanding the sacrifice of self-centeredness to repel the unworthy.
• True sovereignty lies not in worldly power, but in loving servitude and complete surrender to the Beloved.
• Servitude in the path of love is the essence of freedom and liberation from all egoic constraints and attachments.
• This 'perishing' and 'servitude' are forms of existential transformation, serving as gateways to the eternal mysteries of love and gnosis.