Word Meaning
कतरना
katarna
Meaning
To clip, snip, cut into pieces, or trim.
Detailed Meaning
In general usage, 'katarna' refers to clipping or trimming with scissors or sharp shears. In this verse, it evokes the delicate yet lethal act of pruning or cutting down a hundred-hued blossom, which metaphorically parallels a concealed slaying. The poet contrasts this gentle shearing with the overt strike of an unsheathed blade.
Etymology
Sanskrit 'कॢप्' (kḷp - to cut/shape) or 'कर्तति' (kartati - cuts) leading to Prakrit 'कत्तइ' / Hindustani 'कतरना'.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it frequently appears in imagery concerning the trimming of a flower's petals or the clipping of a bird's captive wings (par katarna).
Examples
To clip the fragile petals of the rose.
He trims the delicate wings of the trapped bird.