Word Meaning
वहाँ
wahaan
Meaning
There; at or in that place.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'wahaan' is an adverb of place indicating a remote location, destination, or source. In this couplet, it deictically refers to that specific point—the bud's opening or mouth—from which an unwanted odor emanates, contrasting it ironically with the beloved's exquisite mouth. It often marks spatial, emotional, or existential distance in ghazal poetics.
Etymology
Apabhramsha / Old Hindi-Urdu pronominal base 'वह' (that) combined with the locative suffix '-हाँ' (cognate with Sanskrit 'तत्र' / Prakrit 'तहिं').
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'wahaan' is frequently juxtaposed with 'yahaan' (here/this world) to signify the beloved's inaccessible gathering, the tavern, or the hereafter.
Examples
Do not wander there where rival gatherings meet.
From there comes no word of peace.