Ekalavya Practicing Before the Statue of Dronacharya

ShantaIntermediate

हर घड़ी ख़ुद से उलझना है मुक़द्दर मेरा

Har Ghadi Khud Se Ulajhna Hai Muqaddar Mera

Nida Fazli

1 min read 5 versesDestiny Loneliness

5 verses · ~1 min

हर घड़ी ख़ुद से उलझना है मुक़द्दर मेरा मैं ही कश्ती हूँ मुझी में है समंदर मेरा

किससे पूछूँ कि कहाँ गुम हूँ बरसों से हर जगह ढूँढता फिरता है मुझे घर मेरा

एक से हो गए मौसमों के चेहरे सारे मेरी आँखों से कहीं खो गया मंज़र मेरा

मुद्दतें बीत गईं ख़्वाब सुहाना देखे जागता रहता है हर नींद में बिस्तर मेरा

आईना देखके निकला था मैं घर से बाहर आज तक हाथ में महफ़ूज़ है पत्थर मेरा

इति

Rasa: Shanta
Stanzas: 5
Lines: 10
Reading time: ~1 min
Form: Ghazal
Metre: ghazal
Rhyme: AA BA CA DA EA

The poem evokes a state of profound existential shanta (serenity through detachment), casting the subject as a solitary figure adrift in an internal ocean where the self is simultaneously the vessel and the turbulent waters. A visual representation would depict a weary wanderer standing amidst featureless, repetitive landscapes, clutching a singular stone—a mirror of his own solidified, unyielding consciousness—while searching for a home that exists only as an elusive, ghost-like reflection. This imagery constructs a narrative of tragic introspection and metaphysical exile, where the dreamlike past has dissolved into a relentless, wakeful vigilance. The tone is deeply contemplative and melancholic, characterized by a stoic resignation to the cycle of self-conflict and the irony of seeking one’s identity in a world that has lost its distinct horizons.

हर घड़ी ख़ुद से उलझना है मुक़द्दर मेरा (Har Ghadi Khud Se Ulajhna Hai Muqaddar Mera), by Nida Fazli runs to 10 lines across 5 stanzas, set as Couplets (Sher) with a consistent refrain (Radif) and rhyming word (Qafia). Its governing rasa is Shanta, shaded by Karuna. The metre is ghazal. Rhyme falls as AA BA CA DA EA.

It belongs to the 1938 · 2016 span of Nida Fazli's working life, and keeps the plain, spoken register that period is known for.

Read it for मनुष्य का स्वयं से आंतरिक संघर्ष and शहरी जीवन का अकेलापन और पहचान का खोना. 5 words in it carry older or regional senses, so the poem rewards a second pass.

The verse is hung beside Ekalavya Practicing Before the Statue of Dronacharya: Bathed in a quiet, melancholy stillness, the painting evokes a mood of supreme spiritual surrender and solitary devotion within the silent depths of a forest hermitage. A young tribal prince kneels in reverent…

Words worth pausing on

मुक़द्दर: भाग्य या तक़दीर
कश्ती: नाव
मंज़र: दृश्य
मुद्दतें: लम्बा समय या युग
महफ़ूज़: सुरक्षित

Threads

Destiny Loneliness

The Poet

निदा फ़ाज़ली

Nida Fazli

1938 · 2016

Nida Fazli occupied a space where the profound melancholies of Urdu literature met the spiritual philosophy of the Indian soil. Born in 1938 in Gwalior, he suffered the deep trauma of the partition when his family migrated to Pakistan. He chose to stay behind in India, a decision that infused his poetry with a permanent sense of yearning and existential loneliness. Fazli refused to write in the heavily Persianized vocabulary of traditional Urdu circles. Instead, he used the spoken, everyday language of the streets to explore complex human emotions and universal truths. His film lyrics elevated mainstream cinema, turning simple melodies into deep philosophical inquiries. Honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Shri, he passed away in 2016. He remains a poet who taught readers that true spirituality lies in recognizing the shared sorrow of humanity.