M6:2188 — دو لقب را او برین هر دو نهاد / بهر فرق ای آفرین بر جانش باد

Translation: That (wise man) bestowed two appellations upon these two (jān and ravān); For this distinction, praise be upon his soul!

Meaning: Rumi, in this verse, praises a wise sage who coined distinct terms for jān (animalistic life-force) and ravān (the elevated, freed human soul). This distinction highlights the profound difference between mere vitality and true human spirituality, a differentiation Rumi himself esteems.

Rumi, as is his wont, first invites us to em'ān-e nazar (deep contemplation) and ravān kardan-e cheshmeh (making the spring flow), urging us to transcend psychic stagnation and revitalize our inner being through profound reflection. This invitation itself serves as a prelude to grasping the distinction lauded in this verse.

As I have often emphasized, Rumi identifies the root of grief and depression in the stagnation of the soul's spring, and joy as the outcome of setting this spring in motion. When the rivulet of the soul flows with speed, 'grief does not endure in the hearts of the gnostics.' This 'flowing forth' (ravān shodan) of the spring is intimately linked to the concept of ravān (روان) discussed in this beyt.

In Persian, we possess two distinct terms: jān (جان) and ravān (روان). Jān refers to the animalistic life-force, the vital principle common to all living creatures; wolves, lions, horses, and humans all possess jān. However, ravān is a term reserved exclusively for human beings, serving as the precise equivalent of the Arabic ruh (روح), which itself is derived from rīḥ (ريح), meaning wind or flowing air. This is the essential distinction Rumi honors here.

In this verse, Rumi speaks of a wise sage who called the jān that has 'broken free from the body' as ravān. 'Breaking free from the body' does not signify death; rather, it refers to an elevation beyond the body, a state where the soul severs its attachment to the physical form and ceases to be its servant. It is at this juncture, according to this wisdom, that a human truly becomes 'Adam,' otherwise remaining indistinguishable from animals.

That sage, whose own jān was liberated from the bondage of the body and had attained a spiritual station, established this critical differentiation between these two fundamental concepts. Rumi, with the phrase 'Praise be upon his soul!', celebrates this sagacious distinction. While some attribute this insight to figures like Avicenna (Ibn Sina) or Sanāʾī, given Rumi's general disinclination towards philosophers, it is improbable he refers to Avicenna here. What remains paramount, however, is the distinction itself and its profound importance in comprehending the hierarchical levels of human existence.

Key takeaways

• Jān signifies animalistic life, shared by all living beings; ravān, however, refers to the elevated human spirit.
• The human ravān is actualized when the jān is liberated from the bonds of bodily servitude and ascends to a higher spiritual plane.
• Rumi praises this wise distinction as it is crucial for comprehending the unique essence of human existence.
• This differentiation is intimately linked to the Masnavi's concept of 'making the spring of the soul flow,' signifying liberation from stagnation and attainment of spiritual dynamism.