There was a certain merchant who had brought a parrot while returning from his trade tour from Hind. The parrot was kept in cage. Once, he was to travel to Hind for business again. He asked all his maids, what gift from Hind they would like for themselves. He also enquired after the parrot if he would like any gift from her homeland. The parrot in return asked the favor of delivering a personal message to her folk, that they are all enjoying freedom, while she was kept locked. It was not fair that her friends have bereaved her, and forgotten all the promises they shared. Now, they must tell her what she should do to get free. (Go To Remembering Friends)
She has sent them greetings of peace, but she had wanted justice, and a solution to free herself from prison, which is impossible without the right guidance. In Attributes of Divine Soul Rumi has described the spirit of prophets and saints who possess the transcendental spirit (rûh-i qudsí) and soar to God on the wings of love, ecstasy, and self-abandonment.
The merchant promised to deliver this message. As he reached Hind, he duly delivered it to the first flock of parrots he saw. On hearing it one of them at once fell down dead. The merchant was so annoyed with himself that he had used such words that have killed an innocent bird, and was confused that his parrot has sent such a message to her friends. He says, "I went in destruction of (that) animal. "Is this one, perhaps, a relative of that little parrot? (Or) was this, perhaps, (a case of) two bodies and one spirit? "Why did I do this? Why did I deliver the message (and) burn up the helpless (creature) by means of this crude speech?" (See In The Spirit of Christ) Here Rumi emphasize the importance of mentoring and adopting right means for acquisition of knowledge. He comments at (saying of Farid-ud-Din Attar) and then tells us how the sorcerers had respected Moses. (See The Sorcerers’Respect For Moses)
He had completed his business and returned. He was very angry and when he returned home, he sharply rebuked his own parrot for having sent such a fatal message. (See On Misuse of Words) To cause him more wonder on listening the story his own parrot shivered, then fell down dead in cage. The merchant, still in shock lamenting his death, is dumbfounded. He curses his tongue that had made him bear such an irreparable Loss. (See O Tongue) He celebrates his regret, mourning that he had but lost his sweet-singing bird. She was the wine for spirit, the blossom of garden - the sweet basil. If Solomon could have had a bird like her, he would never have been interested in others. What a pity! That he had not known her true worth. It has caused disgrace to humanity, that it has forgotten the original and true source of knowledge in (Source of Man’s Unhappiness), and where does it lie (Gnosis). How the knowledge is corrupted and how Man misguides itself, Rumi explains in (Exposition of Hadith by Hazrat Muhammad (SAW), and Saying by Hakim Sanai) He bids farewell to his dear departed friend, took his corpse out of the cage and threw it away. Lo thunder struck him again, the parrot jumped to life and was safely perched on the tree. Smiling, she explained, the Hindustani parrot had only feigned death to suggest this way of escaping from confinement in a cage. She gave me advice: Escape from your selfish belonging to elegance of voice and joyful expansion. One’s talent and skill serves as mightiest trap for oneself. The Bird’s voice had kept her shackles. Here Rumi introduces (Social Harms of Flattery and Public Idolatry).
Merchant asks her for advice. She guides her to be humble and lowly in spirit not wanting public fame and popularity, that he might concentrate on his own spiritual development and moral nourishment. Rumi reverts to His own friend Allah the most exalted, and favors the belief, that everything happens by Will of Allah (See God’s Will) and last but not least he once again gifts us wisdom of his spiritual mentor Hakim Sanai, a call for self-mortification – a challenge for moral transformation. (See Saying by Hakim Sanai) |
