Word Meaning
नवाज़िश
navāzish
Meaning
Favor, grace, kindness, patronage, or caress.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'navāzish' signifies an act of gracious favor, patronage, or gentle caressing. In Ghalib's verse, 'dast-e-navāzish' refers to the tender, fondling hand of the beloved, whose very gesture of affection paradoxically binds the lover like an inescapable iron collar (tauq). The word carries both the sweetness of benevolence and, in the lover's paradox, the weight of captive devotion.
Etymology
Persian, from the verb 'navākhtan' (to caress, cherish, play an instrument), present stem 'navāz' + abstract noun suffix '-ish'.
Usage
Commonly used in ghazal poetry either to celebrate the beloved's fleeting grace or ironically to lament how that very kindness entangles the lover.
Examples
Dast-e-navāzish-e-yār (the beloved's caressing hand)
Aap kī navāzish hai (it is your kind favor)