hirī

hiri

fem nom pl of hiri (noun); fem acc pl of hiri (noun); fem voc pl of hiri (noun); fem nom sg of hirī (noun); …

hiri (fem): conscience; sense of right and wrong; scruples; (comm) originating from inside; lit. shame
hirī (fem): conscience; sense of right and wrong; scruples; (comm) originating from inside; lit. shame
hiri (fem): name of a daemon; lit. shame

Etymology. From Indo-European *k̑wey- 'to notice, perceive, pay heed' (cognate with English 'heed', German 'Hut' 'care'), the root sense is perception of one's standing in others' eyes — shame as mindfulness of social bonds. The feeling arises from internal awareness (hence the commentary's 'originating from inside'), distinct from ottappa 'fear of consequences'. In Buddhist ethics, hirī is one of the two luminous roots (sobhana-mūlā) alongside ottappa, the internal and external guardians of the Dhamma.

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

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