Word Meaning
राहत
rāhat
Meaning
Comfort, ease, rest, relief, or pleasure.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu verse, 'rāhat' denotes bodily ease, mental tranquility, or freedom from toil and suffering. In the given couplet by Ghalib, it appears within the genitive compound 'khirman-e-raahat' (the harvest of ease), contrasting the illusory comfort of life with the destructive fiery lightning born of the farmer's toil.
Etymology
Arabic (رَاحَة, rāḥah), from the root r-w-ḥ relating to breathing, rest, and wind.
Usage
In ghazal aesthetics, 'raahat' is frequently juxtaposed with 'ranj' (grief) or 'dard' (pain), often portrayed as fleeting or unworthy compared to the elevated torment of love.
Examples
rāhat-e-jāñ (comfort of the soul)
dil ko terī talab meñ bhī rāhat na milī (the heart found no ease even in yearning for you)