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anuruddha

masc voc sg of anuruddha (noun); masc voc sg of anuruddha (pp); nt voc sg of anuruddha (pp); nt voc sg of anuruddha (noun)

1. name of an arahant monk; great disciple of the Buddha; foremost monk in the divine eye; cousin of the Buddha
2. favoured; accepted; pleased
3. in reference to MN128 Anuruddhasutta; lit. favoured

Built from

• anu — prefix · along, after
  Following the track, hence 'favoured' when applied to one whom others follow without hindrance or opposition.
• ruddha — stem · obstructed, blocked
  Past participle of rundati (to obstruct); in negated sense, 'unopposed, unobstructed', hence pleasing and accepted.

Analysis. anu- (along, after) + ruddha (past participle of rundati, to obstruct, block). The concrete sense 'not obstructed, unblocked' yields 'favoured, accepted, pleasing'; applied as a proper name to the monk renowned for his celestial vision.

Etymology. The root rundati (Sanskrit rundati, to obstruct) is related to Sanskrit rudh- and perhaps distantly to English 'rude' (originally harsh, obstructive). The prefix anu- (following, along) combined with the passive sense of ruddha ('not blocked, not opposed') gives 'unopposed, favoured'—one whom others follow willingly because they are not obstructed or hindered by him.

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

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