Word Meaning
छुपे
chhupe
Meaning
Hidden, concealed, or kept out of sight.
Detailed Meaning
In this couplet, 'chhupe' refers to the celestial bodies (the sun and moon) remaining hidden or out of sight, feeling eclipsed by the beloved's surpassing beauty. It sets up an aesthetic contrast between natural heavenly lights hiding in shame and the beloved's deliberate veiling of their radiant cheeks behind a burqa.
Etymology
Derived from Sanskrit 'क्षुपति' (kshupati) through Prakrit 'छुप्पइ' (chhuppaï), giving Hindi-Urdu 'छुपना'.
Usage
Commonly invoked in classical poetry to describe modesty, the beloved remaining veiled, or celestial bodies concealing themselves in jealousy before superior beauty.
Examples
Clouds parted, revealing the moon that had remained hidden.
Hidden behind the veil of modest reticence.