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ābhassare

ābhassara

masc acc pl of ābhassara (adj); nt acc pl of ābhassara (adj); masc loc sg of ābhassara (adj); nt loc sg of ābhassara (adj); …

1. ābhassara (adj): radiant; shining; belonging to the radiant heaven; epithet of a class of devas
2. ābhassarā (masc): radiant gods; effulgent deities

Built from

• ā — prefix · toward, reversal
  Reverses motion and intensifies perception; the radiance is oriented toward one, perceived as shining forth.
• bhassara — stem · shining, bright
  Derived from √bhass 'to shine, gleam, flash'; Sanskrit bhāsate 'shines'. The stem forms the adjectival base.

Analysis. ā + bhassara: ā 'toward' (reversal prefix) + bhassara 'shining, bright' (from √bhass 'shine, gleam'). The prefix ā- here intensifies or turns the root toward the speaker's perception, making 'shining toward one' or 'radiant.'

Etymology. From ā- (toward, reversal prefix) + bhassara (bright, shining), itself from √bhass (to shine, gleam, flash). The root bhass has cognates in Sanskrit bhāsate 'shines', and distantly relates to English 'blaze' and 'blaze'. In Buddhist cosmology, Ābhassara devas dwell in the Brahma realm and are notable for their radiance; the name captures their luminous nature as 'those who shine forth.'

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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