Word Meaning
लौटता
lot-tā
Meaning
Trailing, sweeping, or rolling along the ground; returning.
Detailed Meaning
In this couplet, the word describes a hem (dāman) that trails or drags along the earth as a proud walker strides. The speaker cautions the beloved or tyrant to lift their sweeping garment, lest a mistreated seeker of justice (dād-ḵẖwāh) clutching the dust grasp hold of it to plead their case. It combines the sense of rolling on the ground with an extended garment touching the earth.
Etymology
Sanskrit/Prakrit origin; derived from Prakrit 'loṭṭaï' (to roll, wallow, lie down).
Usage
In ghazal aesthetics, the beloved's hem trailing upon the earth is a trope of majestic arrogance (nāz o ġhurūr) that touches the dust of lovers.
Examples
the hem trailing upon the dusty path
rolling in agony upon the barren earth