Word Meaning
आठ
aath
hinumeral
Meaning
The number eight; paired with 'pahar', it signifies continuously day and night.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'aath' literally denotes the cardinal number eight. In this couplet, it combines with 'pahar' (a traditional three-hour watch of time) to form the idiom 'aath pahar', meaning all twenty-four hours of the day and night. The poet uses it to convey unceasing, uninterrupted immersion in tears.
Etymology
Sanskrit अष्ट (aṣṭa) -> Prakrit अट्ठ (aṭṭha) -> Old Hindi/Urdu आठ (āṭh).
Usage
Frequently paired with 'pahar' in classical ghazal to denote an inescapable, round-the-clock state of sorrow or yearning.
Examples
weeping through all eight watches of the day
restless throughout all eight pahars
Synonyms
अष्टहश्त
Related Words
पहरआठों पहरघड़ी