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brahmacariyaṁ

brahmacariya

accusative singular of brahmacariya (neuter noun)

1. the holy life, celibate religious practice
2. virtue, chastity
3. the monastic discipline

Built from

• brahma — root · supreme, expansive
  From the Vedic brahman, the cosmic principle; in Buddhism applied to the highest virtues (the brahmaviharas).
• cariya — stem · conduct, way of life
  From √car (to walk, go); the suffix -iya forms abstract nouns of action or quality. Cognate with Latin currō (run).

Analysis. brahma- (supreme, the Brahman realm) + cariya (conduct, way of life); literally 'conduct befitting the Brahman realm' or 'the Brahman-life'. In Buddhist usage, the term is secularized from its Vedic sense and refers to the ascetic practice within the sangha.

Etymology. brahma from Sanskrit brahman (neuter) meaning 'expansive principle, the absolute'; cariya from √car (to move, walk, go), akin to Latin currō (run). The compound is modeled on Vedic brahmacarya, but Buddhism redefines it as the monastic way rather than Brahminical ritual life.

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

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