Word Meaning
वरा
wara‘
Meaning
Piety, abstinence, moral restraint, and religious scrupulousness.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Sufi traditions, 'wara' signifies strict religious scrupulousness, ascetic restraint, and holding back from doubtful or sinful matters. In this couplet, it refers to an entire lifetime spent in orthodox piety, which the lover laments brought him no audience with the beloved. It highlights the recurring poetic tension between the pious ascetic and the devoted lover.
Etymology
Arabic root و-ر-ع (w-r-‘), signifying piety, asceticism, and abstinence from forbidden or dubious things.
Usage
Frequently juxtaposed in the ghazal against passion and wine to contrast orthodox ascetic self-denial with the genuine surrender of love.
Examples
A lifetime of pious restraint could not unlock the beloved's door.
His claims of holiness and wara were shattered by one glance of love.