Sanskrit · noun · Iqbal's Emblems

Jugnu

जुगनू
said jug-noo
Meaning

The firefly, the small insect that carries its own faint light through the dark.

Usage & notes

The firefly figures the self-luminous spirit that, however modest, bears its own light and does not beg radiance from the sun or moon. Iqbal can read it as an image of inner self-sufficiency, a tiny lamp glowing by its own fire.