बरहना-पाई

Meaning

Barefootedness; the state of walking with bare feet.

Detailed Meaning

In classical Urdu poetry, 'barhana-pa'i' denotes the state of being barefoot, often symbolizing the frenzied lover wandering through wilderness. In this couplet, the poet advises against lamenting bare feet, suggesting that desert thorns resolve spiritual entanglements. It represents renunciation, hardship, and mystical self-abandonment.

Etymology

Persian: composed of 'barhana' (naked, bare) + 'pā' (foot) + abstract noun suffix '-ī'.

Usage

Conventionally used in the ghazal to evoke the suffering and total self-abandonment of Majnoon-like lovers wandering the desert.

Examples

Synonyms

Related Words