Word Meaning
दुक्कान
dukkaan
Meaning
A shop, store, or artisan's workshop.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, it denotes a shop, marketplace stall, or craftsman's atelier. In this couplet, it forms the metaphor 'dukkaan-e-shishagar' (a glassmaker's shop), illustrating the extreme fragility and impermanence of the mortal world. It warns the seeker to tread carefully, as life can shatter like delicate glassware at the slightest misstep.
Etymology
Arabic and Persian (ultimately from Aramaic/Akkadian 'dukkānu', a stone bench or raised platform for selling goods).
Usage
In ghazal traditions, it commonly appears in genitive compounds like 'dukkaan-e-shishagar' to allegorize the fragile, brittle nature of human life or love.
Examples
dukkaan-e-shishagar (a glassmaker's shop)
dukkaan-e-hasti (the shop/bazaar of worldly existence)