Word Meaning
तोड़ना
todna
Meaning
To break, shatter, dissolve, or disrupt; here, changing the state or hue.
Detailed Meaning
In general Hindi-Urdu, 'todna' denotes fracturing or severing an object. In Ghalib's poetry, as used in the phrase 'rang todna', it carries the idiomatic and vivid sense of breaking or transforming the color, intensity, or character of a transient state (such as the breath of life). It portrays the poet's nightly struggle to alter or endure the oppressive monotony of gloom and suffering.
Etymology
Sanskrit 'त्रोटयति' (troṭayati) / 'त्रुटति' (truṭati) via Prakrit 'तोडइ' (toḍaï).
Usage
In classical ghazal, 'todna' frequently occurs with motifs of breaking hearts, promises, idols, or idiomatic expressions like breaking a mood or color ('rang todna').
Examples
To shatter the silence of the night
Breaking the oath of fidelity