Word Meaning
ख़ाना-ख़राब
khaana-kharaab
Meaning
Ruined, homeless, destructive, or wretched; also used affectionately or self-deprecatingly as a scoundrel.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning 'one whose house is ruined' or 'a ruiner of homes', it describes someone destitute, wretched, or self-destructive. In this couplet, it qualifies 'jurm' (sin/crime) to emphasize a ruinous, disastrous transgression that causes utter desolation. The speaker finds refuge for such a ruinous offense only within divine or beloved clemency.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'khāna' (house, home) and 'kharāb' (ruined, desolate).
Usage
In classical ghazal, it frequently serves as a plaintive epithet for the lover's own desolate heart (dil-e-khāna-kharāb) or as a term of self-effacing reproach.
Examples
What home remains for this ruined heart?
My wretched transgressions found mercy at your door.