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adhimānena

adhimāna

masc instr sg of adhimāna (noun)

1. overestimating oneself; overrating oneself; overvaluation of one's attainments; lit. over-measuring

Built from

• adhi — prefix · over, above
  The prefix adhi- carries the sense of presiding over or superiority; here it intensifies māna into excessive self-evaluation. Cognate with Sanskrit adhi.
• māna — root · measure, esteem, pride
  From the root √man (to think, measure, value). In Buddhism, māna as conceit or pride is a major mental hindrance; adhimāna specifically denotes an inflated sense of one's spiritual attainments or worth.

Etymology. adhi (on top of, presiding over) + māna (measuring, esteem, pride). The prefix adhi- conveys excess or dominion; māna is the mental act of measuring or evaluating oneself. Together, adhimāna captures the idea of an inflated or excessive self-appraisal that exceeds reality—literally 'over-measuring' oneself. This is a key term in Buddhist psychology for a subtle hindrance to insight.

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

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