M6:247 — گرچه دوزخ دور دارد زو نکال / لیک جنت به ورا فی کل حال

Translation: Although hell keeps its torment (nekāl) from him, / Yet Paradise is always better for him (fī kulli ḥāl). Meaning: This verse suggests that while escaping conscious selfhood and responsibility might avert some earthly suffering, true spiritual paradise lies in a deeper, more authentic 'loss of self' that is superior to any temporary evasion.

Mowlana, in these verses, lays bare a profound psychological fact about human beings, a topic that, I must say, modern psychoanalysts have also explored in depth. We observe that all of humanity, 'jumla ʿālam', flees from its own volition and self-asserting existence ('hastī') and takes refuge in a state of 'intoxicated self' ('sar-mast-e khod'). This is a flight from consciousness and self-awareness.

Why do humans do this? Because, as Mowlana says, 'All have come to know that this existence is a trap' ('jumla dānesta ke în hastī fakh ast'). Everyone has realized, through experience, that this self-centered, self-claiming existence is merely a snare and a prison. 'Voluntary thought and remembrance are hell' ('fekr o zekr-e ekhtiyārī dozakh ast'); whenever one thinks consciously and volitionally, one finds oneself in hell. So, the temporary solution is to flee 'from selfhood into selflessness' ('az khodī dar bīkhudī')—either through intoxication ('masti') or through occupation ('shoghl'), submerging oneself in work and distraction to avoid contemplating one's own self.

The present verse follows this analysis, addressing the point that although this flight from volition and self-asserting existence might seemingly keep one away from the hell of responsibility and suffering ('Although hell keeps its torment (nekāl) from him'), there is a better path to liberation. This verse affirms that 'Yet Paradise is always better for him (fī kulli ḥāl)'; meaning, the true path of selflessness and voluntary annihilation, which comes from surrendering to reality and discovering life's inherent meaning, is superior to any temporary and unconscious escape. Here, Mowlana invites humanity to a journey of 'higher deaths' ('marg-hā-ye bālātar'), which entails rebirth and true life, not merely an evasion of suffering. This is not fatalism, but an understanding of God's overwhelming power and liberation from the shackles of an arrogant selfhood—a liberation that, instead of fleeing from hell, guides one towards true paradise.

Key takeaways

• Humanity flees from self-awareness and volition, perceiving them as traps of suffering and responsibility.
• Escaping selfhood into unconsciousness (through intoxication or occupation) is a temporary relief from suffering.
• Voluntary thought and remembrance, when coupled with self-centeredness, can be a form of hell.
• Merely avoiding the torment of hell (responsibility) is not the ultimate goal; true paradise lies in authentic selflessness.
• Real paradise is found in consciously embracing existence and undergoing 'higher deaths' for a spiritual rebirth.