Word Meaning
चोरी
chorī
Meaning
Theft, stealing, or burglary; loss of possessions secretly or unlawfully.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'chori' denotes theft, burglary, or covert appropriation. In this couplet, it represents the persistent anxiety of losing one's possessions, an apprehension that troubles the mind at night. Having already been plundered completely by day, the speaker is paradoxically liberated from all fear of theft.
Etymology
Derived from Sanskrit 'चौरिका' (caurikā) / 'चोर' (cora, thief), through Prakrit into Hindustani.
Usage
In ghazals, 'chori' is used both literally for worldly loss and metaphorically for the beloved surreptitiously stealing the poet's heart or glance.
Examples
No longer fearing theft, I bless the robber.
Whom shall I blame for the stealthy theft of my heart?