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byāpannacittaṁ

byāpannacittā

nominative/accusative singular feminine (or nominative singular neuter) of the adjective byāpannacittā, meaning 'having a mind afflicted/imbued (with ill-will)'—a compound of byāpanna (past participle) and citta (mind)

1. mind imbued with ill-will
2. mind affected by aversion
3. malevolent mind

Built from

• vi — prefix · apart, asunder
  Marks clarity or intensity, here the spreading of aversion in different directions through the mind.
• ā — prefix · toward, up to
  Reverses and intensifies the action; here shows ill-will reaching toward and pervading the mind.
• āp — root · reach, afflict
  From Indo-European *h₂ep-; Sanskrit āpnoti 'reaches, attains'.
• anna — ending · past participle
  Marks completed action: 'having been affected/pervaded'.
• citta — root · mind, consciousness
  The mind as the locus of the affliction; Sanskrit citta, from √cit 'to perceive, think'.

Analysis. byāpanna ('pervaded, imbued, affected') + citta ('mind'). The prefix vi- (apart, in different directions) and ā- (toward, up to) in vi + ā + √āp ('to reach, afflict') yields the sense of aversion or malevolent intent spreading through the mind. Used in the Pali canon to describe a mental state opposed to the four brahmaviharas, particularly mudditā (sympathetic joy) or the wholesome state of mettā (loving-kindness).

Etymology. byāpanna: vi + ā + √āp (to reach, affect, pervade). The spatial sense of vi- 'asunder' and ā- 'toward' combine to show how ill-will reaches and spreads through the mind. Sanskrit āpnoti 'attains, reaches'.

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

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