Word Meaning
सवा
sawa
Meaning
One and a quarter; often used in classical Doomsday imagery with a spear's height.
Detailed Meaning
Literally denoting one and a quarter (1¼), 'sawa' in poetic idiom almost always forms part of the phrase 'sawa neza' (a spear and a quarter). This alludes to the Islamic eschatological belief that on the Day of Judgement (Mahshar), the sun will descend until it is merely a spear and a quarter above creation. In this couplet, the beloved's tall, graceful stature dwarfs that apocalyptic sun, rendering it merely a decorative plume on their turban.
Etymology
Sanskrit सपाद (sa-pāda, 'with a quarter') via Prakrit.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, 'sawa' is predominantly paired with 'neza' to invoke the dread and fiery heat of the Day of Resurrection as a metaphor for unbearable longing or beauty.
Examples
The blazing sun descended to a spear and a quarter.
A measure spanning one and a quarter paces.