Word Meaning
सरनविश्त
sar-navisht
Meaning
Destiny, fate, fortune, or that which is written upon one's forehead.
Detailed Meaning
Literally translating to 'written upon the head', the word signifies predestined fate or decree written at the dawn of creation. In this verse by Ghalib, it appears as part of 'qalam-e-sarnavisht' (the pen of destiny), suggesting that the poet's deviant nature stems from the flawed or slanted nib used to write his fate.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'sar' (head) and 'navisht' (past participle of 'navishtan', to write).
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it frequently appears in conjunction with imagery of the pen (qalam) or tablet (lauh) to articulate the inevitability of sorrow and predetermined suffering.
Examples
No mortal effort can erase what is inscribed in destiny.
The pen of fate wrote grief upon my brow.