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dhammarakkhitā

dhammarakkhita

masc nom pl of dhammarakkhita (adj); fem nom sg of dhammarakkhita (adj); fem nom pl of dhammarakkhita (adj); nt nom pl of dhammarakkhita (adj); …

1. protected by a religion
2. generic monk's name used in vinaya examples; lit. protected by the Dhamma
3. name of Nāgasena's teacher; lit. protected by the Dhamma

Built from

• dhamma — stem · Teaching, Dharma
  From PIE √dher 'to hold, firm', cognate with English dare, dare-devil (what one dares to do, one holds firm to). In Pali, the Teaching as the holding or preservation of the Buddha's doctrine.
• rakkhita — stem · protected, guarded
  Past participle of rakkhati 'to guard, protect', from √rakkh. Related to Sanskrit rakṣati. The suffix -ita marks the past participle, expressing a state reached or quality acquired.

Analysis. dhamma (the Teaching, Dharma) + rakkhita (protected, guarded, past participle of rakkhati)

Etymology. Compound of dhamma (from √dhar 'to hold, bear', cognate with English dare, Latin dare) and rakkhita (from √rakkh 'to guard, protect', related to Sanskrit rakṣati). The name encodes a doctrinal ideal: one whose conduct and mind are guarded by the Buddha's Teaching.

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

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