Word Meaning
बंदा-नवाज़
banda-nawaz
Meaning
Cherisher of servants; benevolent, patronizing, or compassionate toward subordinates.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian compound signifying someone who nurtures, cherishes, or displays magnanimity toward servants or humble subjects. In classical poetry, it is widely utilized as an honorific epithet for God, a royal benefactor, or the beloved. In this couplet, it qualifies the Divine forgiveness (afw) that mercifully pardons and shelters a ruined sinner.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'banda' (servant, slave) and 'nawaz' (from nawakhtan, to cherish, fondle, or patronize).
Usage
Commonly employed in the ghazal as an obsequious or reverent address to the beloved, a patron, or the Divine.
Examples
O cherisher of the humble, look upon my grief with mercy.
Your servant-favoring grace is the sole refuge for the destitute.