जाता हूँ जिधर सब की उठे है उधर अंगुश्त यक-दस्त जहाँ मुझ से फिरा है मगर अंगुश्त
— Mirza Ghalib
Meaning

Wherever I go, everyone points fingers at me. The world has turned away from me, yet it still points fingers.

Explanation

Friend, let me share a couplet from Ghalib that speaks to a feeling we all know, a haunting sense of being watched. He says, "Wherever I turn, everyone's 'angusht' – their finger – is raised towards me." It’s that feeling, isn't it? Of every eye on you, every move under silent judgment. But then comes the profound twist: "The whole world has turned its hand – 'yak-dast' – away from me." Imagine, the world has abandoned you, withdrawn its support, turned its back completely. Yet, even in that profound solitude, that critical finger, my friend, it *still* points. It captures the ache of carrying a reputation, or a life lived differently, forever under society's microscope. Ghalib, who faced so much hardship and unconventional choices, felt this weight deeply – a genius, yet always scrutinized. To live authentically, sometimes means walking under the unblinking gaze of a thousand pointing fingers.

Difficult Words
अंगुश्त— finger
यक-दस्त— at once, immediately
जहाँ— world

Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.

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Hindi Meaning
English Meaning
Hindi Explainer
English Explainer
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