Word Meaning
ममनून
mamnūn
Meaning
Indebted, obliged, or grateful for a favor.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetics, 'mamnūn' denotes someone who feels indebted or obliged to another for a beneficence or grace. In Ghalib's couplet, 'mamnūn-e-ma'āsī' describes one who is not even obliged or grateful to his sins for triggering divine forgiveness. It captures the paradox of spiritual unworthiness against the sheer boundlessness of God's unearned mercy.
Etymology
Arabic مَمْنُون (mamnūn), the passive participle of the root م-ن-ن (m-n-n), meaning to bestow a favor or confer a benefit.
Usage
Frequently employed in classical ghazals to express humility, gratitude, or ironic indebtedness toward fate, love, or suffering.
Examples
To be obliged to someone's kindness
The heart remained indebted even to the tormentor