Bare Moozi Ko Maara Nafs-e-ammaara Ko Gar Maara — Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq
Meaning
If you have killed the great evil—the sinful, inciting self—then you have slain the mightiest foe. But if you merely killed a crocodile, a dragon, or a male lion, what great thing have you really done?
Explanation
This couplet says the real victory is winning over yourself. The poet calls the restless ego, the part of us that pushes toward wrongdoing, the biggest enemy of all. If you can conquer that inner self, you have defeated the mightiest foe. Then he shrugs at outward displays of bravery. Killing a crocodile, a dragon, or a fierce lion may look heroic, but compared to mastering your own desires, it means little. True courage is not shown on a battlefield with beasts, but quietly inside the heart, where our worst impulses live. Taming them is the hardest and most worthy fight.
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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