Word Meaning
पैकाँ
paikaan
Meaning
Arrowhead; the sharp barb or point of an arrow; an arrow.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'paikaan' denotes the sharp iron head of an arrow that lodges deeply into the target. In this couplet, it represents a deep and tormenting puncture wound that provides no relief, contrasted with the sword's wide gash. Metaphorically, it often symbolizes the piercing effect of the beloved's glance embedded in the lover's heart.
Etymology
Persian (پیکان - paykān), signifying the barbed head or tip of an arrow.
Usage
Commonly employed in the ghazal tradition to evoke the hidden, deeply embedded pain caused by the beloved's glance.
Examples
The lover's heart holds the deep-seated arrowhead of desire.
No healer could extract the beloved's arrowhead from the soul.