Word Meaning
पुरानी
purānī
Meaning
Old, ancient, former, or belonging to the past.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'purānī' denotes something belonging to a past era, often evoking nostalgia, lost fervor, or enduring memory. In this couplet, it qualifies 'tapish' (heat or passion), indicating that the primal intensity that once defined the sacred bond between the moth and the flame has faded away. It contrasts the glorious, burning passion of former times with the lackluster present.
Etymology
From Sanskrit पुराण (purāṇa, meaning 'ancient' or 'belonging to olden times') through Prakrit into Hindustani.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it commonly pairs with words of feeling like dard, tapish, or dastaan to summon nostalgia for bygone love and grief.
Examples
that old ache of the heart
memories of former times