By Krishna Bihari 'Noor'
kaisi ajib shart hai didar ke liye
aankhen jo band hon to vo jalva dikhai de
aankhen jo band hon to vo jalva dikhai de
“What a strange condition is set for the vision of Him — only when the eyes are shut does that splendour appear.”
Romanहिन्दीKrishna Bihari 'Noor'
कैसी अजीब शर्त है दीदार के लिए
आँखें जो बंद हों तो वो जल्वा दिखाई दे
आँखें जो बंद हों तो वो जल्वा दिखाई दे
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
The couplet marvels at a paradox of devotion: the vision of the Divine arrives only when the eyes are closed. What seems a strange, almost unfair condition becomes the verse's quiet teaching — that some splendour is met not by looking harder but by ceasing to look outward at all.
For You, Today
When you strain to see what matters most, try stillness instead — some truths reveal themselves only when you stop searching with the eyes.
The verse belongs to the mystical strand of the ghazal, where inward sight outranks the outward kind.
Themes:Faith & DoubtDevotion
More from Krishna Bihari 'Noor'
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →