Word Meaning
शिकार-गह
shikar-gah
Meaning
A hunting ground, chase, or place where prey is hunted.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'shikar-gah' refers literally to a hunting field and metaphorically to the realm of love or worldly suffering where lovers and souls are slain. In this couplet, it functions alongside 'said-gah' to depict passion as a perilous pursuit where even death ('marg') is merely an elusive, frightened quarry. It symbolizes an arena of existential and emotional slaughter.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'shikār' (hunt, prey) and '-gāh' (place, station).
Usage
Frequently employed in ghazals as a metaphor for the beloved's territory or the trial ground of love where the lover is hunted.
Examples
Drawn into the hunter's chase without defense
Love turned the entire cosmos into a hunting ground