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brahmabhūtena

brahmabhūta

masc instr sg of brahmabhūta (adj); nt instr sg of brahmabhūta (adj)

1. holy; noble; lit. become god

Built from

• brahma — root · Brahman, the highest
  The ultimate transcendent reality in Hindu philosophy, here used as an honorific epithet for the spiritually exalted.
• bhūta — stem · become, arisen
  Past participle of bhavati ("become"); cognate with English "be", Latin "fui". Here marking the achievement or state of becoming/being Brahman.
• -ena — ending · instrumental singular
  The instrumental case marking means, condition, or agency; here expressing the state or condition as a means of spiritual attainment.

Analysis. brahmabhūta is a compound of brahma (neuter: Brahman, the highest reality or the brahmin caste; here used as an honorific) and bhūta (past participle of bhavati, "become"), meaning "become Brahman" or "become holy". In the Pali canon, especially the Upanisads and suttas, this term designates the spiritual attainment of identifying with or realizing the transcendent, and is used to describe the arahant or the liberated mind. The instrumental form -ena marks this state as the means or condition by which something is achieved.

Etymology. brahma derives from the Sanskrit brahman (ब्रह्मन्), the neuter noun for the ultimate reality or impersonal absolute in Vedantic thought, also used honorifically for the Brahmin priestly class. The root is unclear but may relate to brih- "to grow" or "to expand". bhūta comes from the Indo-European root *bheuh₂- "to become, grow", cognate with English "be", German "bin", Latin "fui" ("was"). The compound brahmabhūta reflects the Upanisadic ideal of becoming one with or realizing Brahman, adopted into the Buddhist vocabulary as a marker of spiritual nobility and liberation.

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

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