Omar Khayyam’s famous epic poem, The Rubaiyat, is loved by Westerners as a hymn of praise for sensual delights. In the East, his quatrains enjoy a very different reputation: they are known as a deep allegory of the soul’s romance with God. Even there, however, the knowledge is based on who and what Omar Khayyam was: a sage and mystic. His Rubaiyat has been revered as an inspired Sufi scripture.
In the Persian language, “rubaiyat” means a stanza of four lines forming a poetic verse. The poetry in Persia often has two meanings, one inner and one outer. A rubaiyat has a vast deep inner meaning hidden behind the words, which outwardly seems merely exoteric.
What the quatrains actually mean has seemed a mystery in the East as much as in the West. Though neglected or misunderstood for centuries because of its spiritual power, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam has withstood the ravages of time, misinterpretations of intellectual scholars, and the distortions of many translators.
Ever pristine in its beauty, simplicity, and wisdom, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam has remained an untouched and unpolluted shrine to which truth seekers of all faiths and of no faith can go for divine solace and understanding. The passionate praise of wine and love described in The Rubaiyat by Omar are established metaphors of Sufism; the wine is the joy of the spirit and the love is the rapturous devotion to God!
Gain understanding of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam‘s meaning. After eight centuries, Paramhansa Yogananda, one of the great mystics of our times, explained the mystery behind Omar’s poem. These audio tracks, narrated by Swami Kriyananda (the introduction read by Nayaswami Nalini), contain the essence of that great revelation shared in The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained, by Paramhansa Yogananda, edited by Swami Kriyananda, Crystal Clarity Publishers.
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Here begins an adventure, such as you have never taken before.
Swami Kriyananda | Order Book | Order CD
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Introduction
Nalini Graeber | 01′:00″
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Stanza 1
Swami Kriyananda | 03′:48″
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Stanza 2
Swami Kriyananda | 03′:20″
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Stanza 3
Swami Kriyananda | 06′:09″
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Stanza 4
Swami Kriyananda | 02′:54″
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Stanza 5
Swami Kriyananda | 03′:45″
4 Comments
Omar Khayyam is awake!
The Rubaiyat has a deep appeal to me. Are there other narrated verses available?
Thank you for this introduction it caught my attention like a magnet catches a nail. Peace.
Frank, we’re so glad you’re interested in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. We are currently preparing more mp3s in that series and hope to have them available soon.
It would be a delight to listen to Swamiji, are there more?
I’ll check on this Lakshmi.
Blessings to you 🙂