Word Meaning
सजदा
sajda
Meaning
Prostration, bowing down with forehead to the ground in worship or adoration.
Detailed Meaning
In Islamic prayer, sajda is the ultimate act of physical prostration signifying complete submission to God. In classical Urdu ghazal, it is often redirected toward the earthly beloved, portrayed as an idol ('but'), elevating romance into sacred devotion. In this couplet, 'sajda-e-but' symbolizes the enduring devotional marks left on the lover's forehead from bowing before the idolized beloved.
Etymology
Arabic (سَجْدَة, sajda), from the triconsonantal root s-j-d ('to prostrate, bow down').
Usage
In ghazal poetry, poets often contrast orthodox religious sajda in the mosque with heretical devotion at the threshold of the beloved.
Examples
A sajda rendered at the threshold of the beloved
Traces of continuous sajda visible upon the brow