Word Meaning
बहमन
Bahman
Meaning
Bahman, a celebrated legendary Persian emperor from the Kayanian dynasty.
Detailed Meaning
Bahman (also identified with Artaxerxes I / Vohuman) is an ancient legendary king of Persia belonging to the Kayanian dynasty, celebrated in the Shahnameh. In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, he is frequently invoked as an emblem of royal majesty and empire. In this couplet, Ghalib mentions him alongside legendary monarchs to show that even their legendary glory fades before the magnificence of his own patron.
Etymology
Avestan 'Vohu Manah' (Good Mind / Good Purpose), through Middle Persian 'Wahman' and Classical Persian 'Bahman'.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazals and qasidas, Bahman is used as an allusion (talmih) evoking the absolute zenith of worldly rule and imperial grandeur.
Examples
The glory of Bahman and Jamshid is now merely a story of the past.
Neither Darab nor Bahman could preserve their crown forever.