Word Meaning
ख़ाक-अंदाज़
ḳhāk-andāz
Meaning
A dustpan or shovel used for collecting and disposing of sweepings.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning an implement to scoop or throw dust, it denotes a common dustpan. In Ghalib's verse, it is used with poetic hyperbole to reduce the immense inverted bowl of the celestial sky to an insignificant dustpan when set against the boundless tavern of divine ecstasy or madness. It serves as an emblem of sheer triviality and humble utility.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'khāk' (dust, earth) + 'andāz' (agentive suffix from 'andāḵẖtan', to throw/cast).
Usage
In classical ghazal, it is infrequently invoked for domestic utility and primarily serves as a striking, humbling contrast against grand cosmic imagery like the sky.
Examples
The sky became a mere dustpan before the expanse of love.
Sweeping the ashes of desire into a broken dustpan.