Word Meaning
पा-शिकस्ता
pā-shikasta
Meaning
Broken-footed; lame, incapacitated, or unable to travel onward.
Detailed Meaning
Literally translating to 'broken-footed', the compound denotes a person who is crippled, exhausted, or rendered completely unable to walk. In the context of the couplet, it represents the traveler's utter physical and spiritual helplessness, preventing him from keeping pace with the departing caravan despite hearing its bell. It metaphorically describes the sorrow of failing to reach a divine or beloved goal due to innate human frailty.
Etymology
Persian: compound of 'pā' (foot/leg) + 'shikasta' (broken, from 'shikastan', to break).
Usage
In classical ghazal poetry, it is frequently used to symbolize an earnest seeker or lover whose progress on the arduous path of love is thwarted by human limitation and grief.
Examples
A broken-footed wanderer left stranded in the wilderness.
Though the bell called out, the broken-footed could not stir.