M2:163 — چونک شکر گام کرد و ره برید / لاجرم زان گام در کامی رسید

This couplet concludes a metaphor comparing the spiritual path to a hunt. The seeker is a hunter, and the Divine reality is a musk deer. At first, the hunter must diligently follow the deer's footprints (gām), which represent the external forms of religious practice and the guidance of a teacher. Rumi says the seeker should be grateful for these initial traces, as they are the necessary first step.

However, by faithfully following these external signs, the seeker eventually catches the scent of the deer's musk gland (nāf). This scent represents direct, intuitive experience—an inner knowing that transcends the need for external proofs. The couplet states that this progression is inevitable (lājaram): sincere effort in following the tracks will always lead to the desired goal (kām), which is this direct perception of the Beloved.

The verse emphasizes that the initial, often laborious, stages of the path are not an end in themselves but a means to a more profound, intuitive connection. Gratitude for the 'footprints' is what allows the seeker to 'cut the distance short' and arrive at the 'desire'—the fragrant presence of the Divine itself.