Word Meaning
सरमाया-अंदाेज़ी
sarmāya-andozī
Meaning
Accumulation or hoarding of wealth, riches, or capital.
Detailed Meaning
The term denotes the deliberate gathering or hoarding of capital and worldly possessions. In Ghalib's couplet, the moon's fullness is likened to an over-accumulation of wealth, which counterintuitively brings constraint and decay rather than fulfillment. The poet contrasts this with the empty crescent, advocating detachment to keep the heart spiritually open and expansive.
Etymology
Persian compound composed of 'sarmāya' (capital, principal) and 'andozī' (gathering, acquiring, from 'andokhtan').
Usage
Used in classical and modern ghazals to philosophically critique greed and materialism in contrast to mystical poverty (faqr) and detachment.
Examples
Excessive accumulation of wealth often contracts the soul.
His life was consumed by the pursuit of worldly gain.