Word Meaning
ठहराव
thehraav
Meaning
Stability, stillness, permanence, or pause.
Detailed Meaning
Refers to the state of stability, permanence, or lingering in a place or state. In the context of the couplet, it questions how the world of material existence (water and clay) can ever achieve permanence or rest when its fundamental elements are inherently unstable and in perpetual motion. It highlights the ephemeral nature of worldly existence.
Etymology
Derived from the Hindi/Hindustani verb 'ठहरना' (to stop, stay, rest), connected ultimately to Sanskrit 'स्थिर' (sthir - firm, stable).
Usage
Frequently used in Urdu poetry to depict the transience of life, restless passion, or the impossibility of enduring peace in the mortal world.
Examples
Life found no stillness anywhere.
A moment of pause in the storm.