Meaning
Wheat flour for making bread.
How Iqbal uses it
Everyday word; 'aata-daal ka bhaav' (the price of flour and lentils) idiomatically means the harsh realities of running a home.
See it in the verse
Aata in Iqbal’s couplets
Aata hai yaad mujh ko guzra hua zamana
Wo bagh ki baharen, wo sab ka chahchahana
Wo bagh ki baharen, wo sab ka chahchahana
I remember the time that has passed — those springtimes of the garden, that chorus of every bird singing.
Freedom · Restlessness
Nasha pila ke girana to sab ko aata hai
Maza to jab hai ki girton ko thaam le saqi
Maza to jab hai ki girton ko thaam le saqi
Anyone can pour the wine and let people fall — the real worth is when the cup-bearer catches those who are falling.
Leadership · Humility · Action
Aflaak se aata hai naalon ka javaab aakhir
Karte hain khitaab aakhir uThte hain hijaab aakhir
Karte hain khitaab aakhir uThte hain hijaab aakhir
At last the skies answer the cries that rise to them; at last the veils lift and the silence breaks into speech.
Hope · Action · Aspiration
Sultani-e-jamhur ka aata hai zamana
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tum ko nazar aae miTa do
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tum ko nazar aae miTa do
The age of the people's rule is arriving; whatever old patterns you still see, wipe them away.
Freedom · Awakening · Justice
Man ki daulat hath aati hai to phir jati nahin
Tan ki daulat chhanw hai aata hai dhan jata hai dhan
Tan ki daulat chhanw hai aata hai dhan jata hai dhan
The wealth of the inner self, once gained, never leaves you again; the wealth of the body is mere shade, money comes and money goes.
Self-Knowledge · Selfhood