M6:3630 — دست‌بوس شاه کردند و وداع / پس بدیشان گفت آن شاه مطاع

Translation: They kissed the King's hand and bid farewell; / Then that obeyed King spoke to them. Meaning: This verse describes the three princes' formal departure from their father, the King, after which he imparts his final instructions and warnings for their journey.

This verse marks the beginning of a crucial chapter in the Masnavi: the story of the King and his three sons who embark on a journey through their father's domains. Rumi, with his characteristic subtlety, transforms this narrative into a profound allegory of the soul's journey and the world's deceptions.

Dr. Soroush highlights a significant point here: the word "mamlakat" (kingdom/dominion) used by Rumi historically referred to the personal property of the monarch, not a nation-state as we understand it today. Soroush, with a sardonic nod to certain historical rulers' ambitions to personally own entire lands, emphasizes that ultimately, all such properties remain, and the true, eternal owner is God alone. This perspective immediately underscores the allure of transient appearances and the fleeting nature of worldly powers, setting the stage for the sons' journey.

The act of "They kissed the King's hand and bid farewell" (dast-būs-e shāh kardand va vedāʿ) is a ritual of deference and obedience to the monarch—a symbolic gesture of submission to a spiritual guide or murshid. The significance of this verse lies not merely in the farewell itself, but in what immediately follows: the words of the "obeyed King" (shāh-e motāʿ). This ruler, whose commands are to be heeded, is about to impart vital instructions and a fateful warning to his sons. This moment prepares the ground for Rumi's profound discourse on the "Hūsh-robā" (mind-snatching) and "Dhāt al-Ṣuwar" (the fortress of images) citadel, which is an allegory for the deceptive charm of the world of forms and the necessity of bī-sūratī (formlessness) on the mystical path. This royal warning is, in essence, an eternal guidance from innate human nature to refrain from attachment to the myriad forms and deceptions of the material world, lest one's intellect be snatched away and one becomes estranged from one's true origin.

Key takeaways

• This verse introduces an allegorical tale signifying the soul's journey through a deceptive material world.
• The concept of "mamlakat" (kingdom) here denotes the king's transient personal property, highlighting the impermanence of worldly possessions.
• The "obeyed King" (shāh-e motāʿ) symbolizes the spiritual guide whose counsel is essential for the seeker.
• The verse's true importance lies in setting the stage for the King's vital warnings about the allure of "forms" (صور) and the necessity of "formlessness" (بی‌صورتی).