On the Status of Comparisons in Masnavi

Comparison is highly employed in Masnavi, whether as a technique ofsimulating one thing to another or in its expressional sense as a device of lexicalreasoning. However, disagreement with it is a major feature of Movlan`s mysticalteachings specifically on the issue of recognition. Camparison as used in Masnavisometimes means rational reasoning, sometimes conjecture, and sometimesserves as an expression in logic. Whatever the case, it is invariably oppesed toby moulana. As the major caves of human errors in recognition, it underliesmany anectodes of Masnavi so that, in the ferst chapter, the reader faces differentusages of this erroneous technique which are often denounced.The present article deals with Movlana`s concern about comparison bybringing in its different meanings and looking at a number of anecdotes inMasnave. As a poet, Moulana is supposed to have dealt with similarities, however, as a mystic speculator, he has just focused on differences andprevilages. This indicates his poetic skill combined with speculative capability aswell as mystical commitment by virtue of which he views comparison wrong andas a seurce of error. This is particularly true when he speaks of metaphysicalfacts and experiences, entities that are solely at the disposal of a mystic. In spiteof all this and quite interestingly, Moulana is found at time to give up tocomparisons when explaining certain moral and mystical issues.