Word Meaning
कदू
kadū
hinoun
Meaning
A dried gourd used as a flask, cup, or begging bowl by dervishes.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning a gourd or pumpkin, in classical and Sufi poetry it specifically refers to a hollowed dried gourd used by dervishes as a vessel, flagon, or begging bowl. In this couplet, it represents the spiritual cups of the ascetics in the monastery, which have ironically run dry compared to the poet's humble flagon.
Etymology
Persian (کدو - kadū), originally gourd or pumpkin.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, 'kadu' is often used alongside imagery of wine-drinking to symbolize an ascetic's rustic drinking-vessel, juxtaposed against the ornate cups of worldly drinkers.
Examples
The wine poured into the ascetic's gourd
Empty is the gourd of the monastery's dervish
Synonyms
तुंबाकमंडलकासाप्याला
Related Words
सबूचाख़ानक़ाहकश्कोलबादा-ख़ाना