Word Meaning
दामन-कुशी
daaman-kushī
Meaning
Drawing away one's skirt; detachment, evasion, or withdrawal from connection.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning the act of pulling or drawing away one's skirt, 'daaman-kushi' metaphorically signifies detachment, evasion, or retreat from worldly attachments. In Ghalib's verse, it reflects the impulse of withdrawing completely from existence and entanglement, which is obstructed by lingering vanity. It often evokes the haughty indifference of a beloved or an ascetic's renunciation.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'dāman' (skirt/hem) and 'kushī' (from 'kashīdan', to pull, draw, or withhold).
Usage
In classical ghazal, it commonly describes the beloved's disdainful avoidance of the lover or the mystic's deliberate detachment from worldly pollution.
Examples
Drawing the skirt away in disdain
Ascetic detachment from the dust of mortality