Word Meaning
जभी
jabhī
Meaning
Only then; at that very moment; only so long as (when followed by 'tak').
Detailed Meaning
'Jabhī' is the emphatic form of the relative adverb 'jab' (when), formed by merging 'jab' with the emphatic particle 'hī'. In this couplet, combined with 'tak' (जभी तक), it functions temporally to mean 'only until then' or 'solely for as long as'. The speaker expresses that their very existence was sustained only until the manifestation of divine glory revealed them to be mere illusion.
Etymology
Derived from Old Hindi / Apabhramsha, combining the relative temporal adverb 'jab' (Sanskrit 'yadā') with the emphatic particle 'hī' (Sanskrit 'eva').
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, 'jabhī' is often paired with 'tak' or 'talak' to mark the exact threshold where an illusion, suffering, or state of being abruptly ends.
Examples
I was at peace only until love took root in my heart.
The night's shadow endured only until dawn broke.