Ba-juz Divangi Hota Na Anjam-e-khud-ara.i — Mirza Ghalib
Meaning
The outcome of self-adoration would be nothing except madness, if the mirror did not forge a restraining chain out of its own grain.
Explanation
Ghalib playfully explores the intoxicating danger of self-obsession and vanity. In classic times, polished metal mirrors bore natural wavy marks or grain (jauhar), which visually resembled chain links. The poet suggests that staring endlessly at one's own beauty would surely lead to madness, had the mirror’s own wavy grain not acted as a restraining chain to tie down and steady the bewitched viewer.
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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