Concept

The Allegory of the Dervishes and the Two-Headed Battle-Axe in Mosibat Nameh

This allegory from Farid al-Din Attar's Mosibat Nameh depicts a dialogue between two dervishes. When asked about his ultimate desire, one dervish requests a two-headed battle-axe (nachakh-e do sar) to eliminate his own ego with one head and the 'other' with the second head. This symbolizes the complete erasure of selfhood (khudi) and duality, allowing the Divine Truth to become manifest without the obstacle of individual existence. The story illustrates the Sufi concept of fana (annihilation of the self) as the necessary path to divine realization.

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Updated 2026-07-03

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course