Word Meaning
कलेजे
kaleje
Meaning
Heart, liver, or bosom; the seat of deep emotion and pain.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'kaleja' (here in the oblique form 'kaleje') literally denotes the liver, but figuratively represents the heart and the innermost core of intense suffering and fortitude. In this couplet, it designates the vulnerable vital center penetrated entirely by the beloved's unerring glance. It captures the fatal impact of love's arrow striking straight through the lover.
Etymology
From Sanskrit कालखण्ड (kālakhaṇḍa) through Prakrit कलेअ (kalea) into Hindustani.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'kaleja' is conventionally associated with consuming fire, bleeding, and enduring the piercing arrows of the beloved's eyelashes.
Examples
An arrow piercing the heart
To feel a burning pain in the chest