Persian · noun, masculine · The Tavern & the Cup

Nasha

नशा

said na-shaa

Meaning

Intoxication, the state of being drunk; the exhilaration of mystical absorption.

Literally: intoxication

How Iqbal uses it

Nasha is the intoxication Iqbal seeks for the self, one that does not numb but awakens. He distinguishes the false stupor of complacency from the true nasha of love that drives the spirit forward.

See it in the verse

Nasha in Iqbal’s couplets

Nasha pila ke girana to sab ko aata hai
Maza to jab hai ki girton ko thaam le saqi

Anyone can pour the wine and let people fall — the real worth is when the cup-bearer catches those who are falling.

Leadership · Humility · Action

Related words

PERSIAN

Masti

Intoxication, rapture; the state of ecstatic absorption produced by the wine of love.

PERSIAN

Khumaar

The languor or after-effect of wine; the lingering, heavy-eyed glow of intoxication, often a sign of longing.

ARABIC

Surur

Joyful exhilaration; the pleasant rising glow of intoxication and ecstatic delight.

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