Word Meaning
बाज़ी
bāzī
hinoun
Meaning
A game, play, stake, or turn of fortune.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and Urdu poetry, 'bāzī' denotes a game, trick, gamble, or cosmic sport. In this couplet, it appears in the compound 'bāzī-e-aflāk' (the play or maneuvers of the celestial spheres), personifying heaven as a player in destiny. The poet rejects this fatalistic notion, arguing that human decline stems from the death of selfhood rather than cosmic play.
Etymology
Persian 'bāzī' (بازی), derived from the infinitive 'bākhtan' (باختن - to play, to stake, to lose at play).
Usage
In ghazal poetry, 'bāzī' often depicts either the deceptive gamble of worldly life or the high-stakes risk of devotion in love.
Examples
Bāzī-e-atfāl hai duniyā mire aage
Jān kī bāzī lagānā
Synonyms
खेलदाँवतमाशा
Related Words
बाज़ीगरबाज़ीचाबाज़ी-ए-अत्फ़ाल