Word Meaning
खोली
kholi
Meaning
Opened, untied, or unfastened (feminine singular past tense of to open/untie).
Detailed Meaning
The feminine past tense of the verb 'kholna', meaning to untie, unravel, or set open. In Ghalib's verse, it directly qualifies 'girah' (the feminine noun for knot or entanglement). The line portrays human rationalization: when captives of apathy fail to untie a knot through their own effort, they excuse themselves by claiming it was knotted too impossibly.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle Indo-Aryan, traceable to Sanskrit root 'खुल्ल' (khulla) or Prakrit 'खोलइ' (kholai) meaning to open or loosen.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, untying a knot ('girah kholna') commonly serves as a metaphor for resolving emotional entanglements or uncovering existential secrets.
Examples
She untied the knot of the heart with quiet patience.
The knot that intellect never untied remained an eternal puzzle.