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kāyakammaṁ

kāyakamma

neuter nominative singular (or accusative)

1. bodily action, bodily deed
2. physical karma

Built from

• kāya — stem · body
  Derived from the root meaning 'to bend' or 'to curve'; refers to the physical body as a bounded, shaped form.
• kamma — stem · action, deed
  From √kr 'to do, make'; in Buddhist ethics, the volitional action that creates karmic consequence and conditioning.

Analysis. kāya (body) + kamma (action/karma); a compound denoting action performed by the body, as distinct from verbal (vacīkamma) and mental (manokamma) actions

Etymology. kāya from √ku 'to bend, curve' (body as the physical frame); kamma from Sanskrit karman, from √kr 'to do, make' (same root as English 'create', Latin 'creare'). In Buddhist doctrine, kāyakamma is the first of three doors of action (kāya, vacī, mano), constitutive of karma proper.

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

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