sutta.stream

‹ Back to the text

jhānānaṁ

jhāna

Plural genitive neuter of jhāna (n.)

  1. meditative absorption
  2. state of profound concentration
  3. any of the four (or eight) levels of sustained mental collectedness in meditation

Analysis. Not a compound; the form jhānānaṁ is the inflected genitive plural of the base jhāna.

Etymology. Root uncertain; possibly related to Sanskrit dhyāna (meditation, from √dhyai 'to think, contemplate'), but the Pali form shows regular sound changes. The word entered Pali as a technical term for the absorptive states mapped in the Buddhist path, each marked by progressive stilling of thought and deepening of equanimity.

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

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version