पा

Meaning

Foot or leg.

Detailed Meaning

In Persian and classical Urdu poetry, 'pā' denotes the foot or leg. In this couplet, it appears in the izafat compound 'kaf-e-pā' (the sole of the foot), where the lover metaphorically binds their heart to the sole like felt to protect it from the piercing desert thorns. It serves as an emblem of hardship, wandering in madness (junūn), and physical vulnerability.

Etymology

Persian 'pā' (or 'pāy'), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pṓds (foot); cognate with Sanskrit 'pad' / 'pāda'.

Usage

Commonly occurs in classical ghazal compounds (such as 'ābila-e-pā' or 'kaf-e-pā') to describe the passionate lover's barefoot wanderings and suffering.

Examples

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Related Words