In the Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Sana'i employs the concept of 'eating clay' (gol khordan) in two contrasting metaphorical contexts. In Section 2, the craving for clay is a positive, playful image associated with pregnancy (abistan): the poet's pen, 'pregnant' with divine meaning, craves the 'clay' of ink and paper to give birth to literary creations. Conversely, in Section 18, eating clay represents a destructive spiritual pathology, symbolizing the soul's base attachment to worldly, materialistic desires that deprive it of divine light. This dual usage showcases Sana'i's literary versatility, transforming a common physical craving (pica) into a symbol for both generative spiritual inspiration and degenerative earthly attachment.