Word Meaning
समा
samā
Meaning
To be contained, accommodated, or fit within a space.
Detailed Meaning
In this couplet, 'samā' is the past stem of the verb 'samānā', meaning to be contained, enclosed, or accommodated within boundaries. Allama Iqbal uses it here to show that the universal human spirit (mard-e-āfāqī) is so boundless that even the two realms of existence cannot contain him. It conveys spiritual infinity breaking past material, geographical, and metaphysical limits.
Etymology
From Sanskrit सम् (sam, 'together') + मा (mā, 'to measure'), through Prakrit समाइ (samāi) into Hindustani समाना (samānā).
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it is often paired with negation to express how vast realities like love, grief, or the divine transcend all worldly capacity.
Examples
Dil mein samā gayā koi
Dono jahan mein na samā sake