Meaning
Classification, grading, or ranking into categories.
See it in the verse
Darja-bandi in Iqbal’s couplets
Khud badalte nahin Quran ko badal dete hain
Hue kis darja faqeehan-e-haram be-taufeeq
Hue kis darja faqeehan-e-haram be-taufeeq
They will not change themselves, so they reinterpret the Quran instead — how utterly bereft of grace the jurists of the sanctuary have become.
Justice · Awakening · Courage
Firqa-bandi hai kahin aur kahin zaaten hain
Kya zamane mein panapne ki yahi baaten hain
Kya zamane mein panapne ki yahi baaten hain
Somewhere it is sectarianism, somewhere it is caste — are these the things by which a people are supposed to flourish in the world?
Unity · Awakening · Justice
Guzar-auqat kar leta hai ye koh o bayaban mein
Ki shahin ke liye zillat hai kar-e-ashiyan-bandi
Ki shahin ke liye zillat hai kar-e-ashiyan-bandi
It makes its living among mountains and wilderness, for to the falcon the building of a comfortable nest is a disgrace.
The Falcon · Freedom · Adversity
Miri mashshatgi ki kya zarurat husn-e-mani ko
Ki fitrat khud-ba-khud karti hai laale ki hina-bandi
Ki fitrat khud-ba-khud karti hai laale ki hina-bandi
What need has true beauty of meaning for my adorning hand? Nature, all on its own, paints the tulip red.
Self-Knowledge · Humility · Action