Word Meaning
नज़ला
nazla
Meaning
Catarrh, head cold, or nasal rheum; discharge from the nose.
Detailed Meaning
In classical medicine and Urdu literature, 'nazla' signifies catarrh, cold, or the downward drainage of phlegm from the head. In this satirical verse, the poet mockingly claims that the Shaikh's discharge is not merely a common cold from the nose, but rather an embarrassing loss of vital fluid. It serves as a tool for sharp wit and physical mockery against the ascetic.
Etymology
Arabic (نَزْلَة nazlah), from the root n-z-l (ن-ز-ل) meaning 'descent' or 'a falling down', describing humors descending from the brain.
Usage
In Urdu poetry, 'nazla' is often used literally for illness or figuratively in the idiom 'nazla girna' (wrath descending upon the weak), and here for comic satire.
Examples
Suffering from catarrh and cough in the changing season.
Misfortune descended like catarrh upon the helpless.