• Type: Noun / Phrase
• Origin: From Persian-Urdu: انا (ego, self, pride) + پرستی (worship, devotion). Literally means “worship of the ego/self.”
• Definition: A mindset or behavior in which a person places extreme importance on their own self, opinions, desires, and pride, often disregarding others. It is deeper than خود ستائی (self-praise) because it reflects an entire life-attitude rooted in arrogance and self-importance.
Expanded Features:
• Polarity: Strongly Negative (moral and ethical criticism)
• Register: Literary, religious, ethical discourse, philosophical writing
• Pragmatic Sense: Arrogance, selfish pride, vanity
Key Nuances:
• Stronger than boasting (خود ستائی); implies living under the dominance of one’s ego.
• Seen as a spiritual disease in Islamic thought, often contrasted with humility (انکساری).
• In literature, ana parasti is linked with tyranny, oppression, and downfall.
• Philosophically, it resembles egotism and egoism, but in Urdu it has a more moral-religious condemnation.
Usage Contexts:
• Religious sermons and poetry condemning arrogance.
• Criticism of rulers, politicians, or leaders who act only in self-interest.
• Everyday speech when someone refuses to listen due to pride.
Example Sentences:
• Urdu: انا پرستی انسان کو دوسروں کی بات سننے نہیں دیتی۔
English: Egotism prevents a person from listening to others.
• Urdu: حکمران کی انا پرستی نے پورے ملک کو نقصان پہنچایا۔
English: The ruler’s egoism harmed the entire nation.
• Urdu: انا پرستی انسان کو تنہا اور دوسروں سے دور کر دیتی ہے۔
English: Self-worship isolates a person and distances them from others.
Cultural Insight:
In Sufi and Islamic teachings, انا (ego) is viewed as the greatest obstacle to spiritual growth. Saints often emphasize that crushing the ego is the path to closeness with God. In Urdu literature, ana parasti is a symbol of downfall—great kings, leaders, and individuals lose everything due to their inability to control pride. South Asian culture values humility (عاجزی) and condemns انا پرستی as destructive for both individuals and societies.
Synonyms (Urdu): خود پسندی, غرور, تکبر, خود غرضی
Synonyms (English): arrogance, conceit, egotism, narcissism, pride, self-importance
Antonyms (Urdu): عاجزی, انکساری, فروتنی
Antonyms (English): humility, modesty, meekness, selflessness
Related Terms:
• خود ستائی (khud sataai): self-praise
• غرور (ghuroor): pride
• تکبر (takabbur): arrogance
• خود غرضی (khud gharzi): egoism, selfishness
• انکساری (inkisari): humility
• عاجزی (aajzi): modesty