Word Meaning
बढ़ा
baṛhā
Meaning
increased, expanded, exaggerated, or magnified
Detailed Meaning
In this couplet by Iqbal, 'baṛhā' (from the compound verb 'baṛhā diyā') means to exaggerate, amplify, or magnify something beyond its actual proportion. A simple, trivial matter ('zarā sī bāt') has been unnecessarily embellished and lengthened merely to adorn a narrative ('zeb-e-dāstāñ'). It conveys the idea of over-complicating or dramatizing a simple truth for poetic or dramatic effect.
Etymology
From Prakrit 'vaḍḍhei' / Sanskrit 'vardhayati' (वर्धयति, caus. of vṛdh), meaning to increase, grow, or expand.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, forms of 'baṛhānā' often appear in idiomatic phrases like 'baat baṛhānā' (lengthening a dispute or matter) or 'qissa baṛhānā' (elaborating a tale unnecessarily).
Examples
बात को यूँ ही बढ़ा दिया गया
क़िस्स-ए-ग़म को उसने बे-सबब बढ़ा दिया