Word Meaning
नुक़साँ
nuqsaan
Meaning
Loss, damage, deficit, detriment, or harm.
Detailed Meaning
'Nuqsaan' is a poetic variant of 'nuqsaan' with a final nasal consonant, signifying detriment, loss, or deterioration. In the couplet, it denotes the deficit or impairment of intellect and wisdom, which paradoxically leads people into the delusion of gain amidst the world's pervasive carelessness. It operates as a direct thematic counterpoint to 'intifaa' (profit or advantage).
Etymology
From Arabic 'nuqṣān' (نُقْصَان), derived from the triconsonantal root n-q-ṣ (ن-ق-ص) meaning to decrease, diminish, or fall short.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it is often paired antithetically with 'sood' or 'naf'a' to depict the perpetual existential deficit of worldly or emotional commerce.
Examples
Bearing the loss of one's heart in the marketplace of love.
Weighing worldly profit against intellectual loss.