इम्काँ

Meaning

Possibility, contingency, or the realm of all possible existence.

Detailed Meaning

In philosophical and Sufi poetic discourse, 'imkān' refers to the realm of contingent reality, meaning everything in the universe whose existence is possible. In Ghalib's verse, 'dasht-e-imkān' (the wilderness of possibility/creation) is depicted as so small that the entirety of existence is exhausted by a single step of boundless human desire. It conveys the sheer infinitude of longing compared to the finite nature of reality.

Etymology

Arabic إِمْكَان (imkān), the verbal noun of the root م-ك-ن (m-k-n), relating to capability, feasibility, or being possible.

Usage

Commonly used in classical ghazal to philosophically contrast the limitations of the created, contingent universe with the boundless nature of love or longing.

Examples

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Related Words