M6:3314 — کو همان‌جا که دل و اندیشه‌اش / دایم آن‌جا بد چو شیر و بیشه‌اش

Translation: Where is that place where its heart and its thought Always resided, like a lion in its den (bīshe)?

Meaning: This verse poses a fundamental question about the true object of human quest: that primordial place where the heart and intellect, like a lion in its natural habitat, inherently belonged and found both peace and power.

This couplet emerges from the speech of a 'vamdār' or a cuckoo, crying 'ku ku' (where, oh where) in search of its home. Here, Mowlana informs the listener that if one truly grasps the essence of this 'where-saying,' they will discern what must be genuinely sought: one must draw water from the springs. The true 'where' is where the attributes of mercy, power, and sagacity originate; the very source I have previously referenced in the Masnavi.

This specific beyt points precisely to that fount, asking us: 'Where is that place where its heart and its thought always resided, like a lion in its den?' In other words, the true 'where' is where the human heart and intellect belong not as transient guests, but as a lion belongs in its den. A lion in its bīshe is not a stranger; it is sovereign and at peace there, inherently belonging without any sorrow of alienation. This is the metaphor Mowlana employs to articulate the intrinsic connection of the human heart and mind to that Ultimate Principle. Our hearts and thoughts are, in fact, not alien in that transcendent abode; it is their true den, where they regain their power and authenticity.

This 'ku' cry is a longing born of both hope and sorrow. In times of trouble and illness, human hope is directed towards that very place. It is there that the heart points, even if the tongue merely utters 'Yā Hū.' Mowlana distinguishes here between the sālik (seeker) and the wāṣil (one who has arrived). The saint, the perfect human, the wāṣil, never cries 'ku ku,' for they are 'maʿa Allah' (with God) and experience a perpetual presence before the Beloved. But we, who are still sāliks on the path of search, utter 'ku ku,' seeking that original station. This 'ku' is never a sign of despair or existential loneliness; rather, it is a longing full of hope for reunion and a return to the true den of the heart and thought.

Key takeaways

• The true 'where' (ku) points to the divine source, not merely earthly solutions.
• The human heart and intellect inherently and originally belong to the divine origin.
• The metaphor of 'a lion in its den' symbolizes the power, peace, and authentic belonging of the heart and mind in their true abode.
• Mystical longing for reunion is a purposeful quest to return to the soul's original home, not a lament of despair or existential loneliness.