Word Meaning
ख़जिल
khajil
Meaning
Ashamed, abashed, embarrassed, or humiliated.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'khajil' denotes a profound state of shame, modesty, or abashment. In the cited couplet, the speaker feels humiliated and deeply ashamed by the sheer magnitude of divine forgiveness and generosity ('abr-e-karam'), lamenting the inadequacy of their own repentance. The term captures the moral crisis of receiving unearned grace while feeling unworthy.
Etymology
Arabic root خ-ج-ل (kh-j-l), meaning to be confounded, blush, or feel ashamed.
Usage
In ghazal aesthetics, it is frequently employed to contrast the sinner's or lover's humility with divine mercy or the beloved's overwhelming beauty.
Examples
Left abashed before the magnanimity of the beloved
A heart ashamed of its own shortcomings