Word Meaning
दुआ
du'aa
Meaning
Prayer, supplication, or blessing offered for someone's well-being.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'dua' denotes an invocation, prayer, or blessing made to God or on behalf of someone. In this couplet, the poet ironically offers blessings to the robber who plundered him, as being stripped of possessions paradoxically freed him from the anxiety of theft and brought untroubled sleep. The word transforms pious supplication into an instrument of profound wit and irony.
Etymology
Arabic دُعَاء (du‘ā’), derived from the root د-ع-و (d-ʿ-w), meaning to call upon, summon, or invoke.
Usage
Frequently paired with 'दवा' (cure) or contrasted with 'बद-दुआ' (curse), and often used ironically when the lover blesses the tormenting beloved.
Examples
To raise hands in silent prayer
Offering a blessing even for one's tormentors