Word Meaning
मस्ती
masti
Meaning
Intoxication, ecstasy, spiritual rapture, or state of carefree exuberance.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'masti' signifies a state of intoxication that can be both literal (from wine) and mystical (rapture from divine love). In this couplet, it represents a state of ecstacy or trance wherein worldly or pious conventions are discarded and the beloved or desire becomes the ultimate focal point. It stands in contrast to the rigid, rational, and distracted sermons of the Sheikh.
Etymology
Persian (مستی), derived from 'mast' (intoxicated, ecstatic) with the abstract noun suffix '-i'.
Usage
In the ghazal, masti is frequently celebrated by the 'rind' (profligate/mystic) as a virtuous state of genuine devotion over the superficial piety of the 'zahid' or 'sheikh'.
Examples
Lost in ecstasy, oblivious to the world's judgment.
The divine intoxication granted peace to the restless heart.