Word Meaning
मुतक़ाबिल
mutaqabil
Meaning
Facing each other, confronting, opposite, or standing face-to-face.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu, 'mutaqabil' denotes an entity that stands directly opposite or in confrontation with another. In this couplet, it describes an adversary who positions himself directly face-to-face with the speaker, only to be overwhelmed by the speaker's relentless momentum. It emphasizes mutual confrontation and intense rivalry.
Etymology
Arabic, from the triconsonantal root q-b-l (ق-ب-ل); Form VI active participle (mutaqābil), meaning mutually facing or confronting.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is employed to portray an immediate, dramatic face-off between rivals, fate, or the lover and beloved.
Examples
Standing face-to-face in the arena of contest
When the rival stood confronting him