Persian · noun · Being & Non-Being
Sarmaaya-e-hasti
सरमाया-ए-हस्ती
said sar-maa-ya-e-HAS-ti
Meaning
The capital of existence; the whole stock or worth of one's life.
Literally: capital of being
How Iqbal uses it
All that a life amounts to, its accumulated treasure; the poet weighs whether this sarmaaya has been spent on something worthy or squandered.
See it in the verse
Sarmaaya-e-hasti in Iqbal’s couplets
Kuchh baat hai ki hasti mitti nahin hamari
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
There is something in us that our existence will not be erased — though for centuries the turning of the age has been our enemy.
Adversity · Hope · Unity
Raaz-e-hasti ko tu samajhti hai
Aur aankhon se dekhta hun main
Aur aankhon se dekhta hun main
You, Reason, comprehend the secret of existence; but I, the Heart, see it with my own eyes.
Self-Knowledge · Love · Awakening
Zindagi ka raaz kya hai saltanat kya cheez hai
Aur ye sarmaya-o-mehnat mein hai kaisa kharosh
Aur ye sarmaya-o-mehnat mein hai kaisa kharosh
What is the secret of life? What is this thing called the State? And what is this clamour between capital and labour?
Justice · Awakening
Yaqeen afrad ka sarmaya-e-tameer-e-millat hai
Yahi quvvat hai jo surat-gar-e-taqdeer-e-millat hai
Yahi quvvat hai jo surat-gar-e-taqdeer-e-millat hai
The conviction of individuals is the capital that builds a community — this is the very force that sculpts a people's destiny.
Unity · Selfhood · Leadership
Kuch baat hai ki hasti mitti nahin hamari
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
There is something about us that refuses to be erased — for centuries the turning of the age itself has been our enemy.
Hope · Adversity · Self-Knowledge
Aaya hai tu jahan mein misal-e-sharar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
You have come into the world like a spark — see that this fleeting existence does not slip away from you.
Action · Awakening · Aspiration