Citation : Singh AR (2023) Human Being - A Bundle of Thousands Of Desires.In :Ghalib, Psychology and Human Behaviour - 1 (A.R Singh and S.A Singh Eds), Mens Sana Monogr; 21:1.pg 34-35
ہزاروں خواہشیں ایسی کہ ہر خواہش پہ دم نکلے
بہت نکلے مرے ارمان لیکن پھر بھی کم نکلے
हज़ारों ख़्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख़्वाहिश पे दम निकले
बहुत निकले मेरे अरमान लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले
hazaaro.n KHvaahishe.n aisii ki har KHvaahish pe dam nikle
bahut nikle mere armaan lekin phir bhii kam nikle
(DG 220:1:1357)
Meaning
Thousands of desires such that for each,
one would lose one’s breath I could fulfil many such,
but still they were just a few.
Explanation/Comment:
A human being is a bundle of thousands of desires. And to fulfil each may take a lifetime.
A middle class person in a city like Mumbai spends 20- 25:years of her/his productive life paying the EMI of a 2 bedroom house. What to say of her/his desire for a fancy car, foreign trips, second home in a hill station etc. Most of these other desires just remain dreams as she/he manages a home and educates the kids. By that time, she/he has retired with a medical problem for which she/he runs to a dozen doctors.
But the desires are never over. So she/he watches films with fancy cars and palatial houses and idolises film stars and other celebrities who seem to have it all.
Thousands of desires, and to fulfil even one takes a lifetime.
The poet says he was fortunate to fulfil a number of such, but still so many remained unfulfilled, just dreams.
Isn’t that the story as much of the common man as of the aristocrat?