गिरफ़्तारी

Meaning

Captivity, imprisonment, bondage, or the state of being trapped.

Detailed Meaning

In classical Urdu poetics, 'giriftārī' denotes bondage, entrapment, or the condition of being held captive, traditionally by the snares of love or the beloved's tresses. In this couplet, it represents an inward spiritual and moral enslavement deceptively concealed beneath the outward veneer of modern freedom. It underscores the paradox between physical liberty and psychological bondage imposed by contemporary civilization.

Etymology

Persian, derived from the verbal root 'giriftan' (to seize, catch, grasp) followed by the nominal/abstract suffix '-ī'.

Usage

Frequently contrasted with 'āzādī' (liberty) or 'rihāī' (release), it is widely used in the ghazal tradition to evoke either the bliss or agony of romantic and spiritual confinement.

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Related Words