Concept

The Inadequacy of the Soul in Comprehending the Divine in Attar's Mokhtar Nameh (Chapter 11, Poem 15)

In Poem 15 of Chapter 11 in Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet explores the profound limitations of human comprehension when faced with the divine mystery. Despite the soul's tireless spiritual journeying ('hastened much in this desert') and rigorous intellectual analysis ('split many hairs'), it remains unable to truly know even the smallest fraction of existence ('a single hair'). Furthermore, even intense inner illumination ('a thousand suns shone from my heart') falls short of understanding the 'perfection of a single atom.' The poem emphasizes that neither intellectual striving nor profound spiritual experiences are sufficient to fully grasp the infinite and incomprehensible nature of the Divine.

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Updated 2026-07-04

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Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course