Meaning
To block all routes of escape.
Literally: to seal off the passes
See it in the verse
Naaka bandi karna in Iqbal’s couplets
Ho mera kaam ghareebon ki himayat karna
Dard-mandon se zaeefon se mohabbat karna
Dard-mandon se zaeefon se mohabbat karna
Let my work be to defend the poor — to love the suffering and the weak.
Justice · Humility · Love
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