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khīṇāsavavasena

ind (instrumental of a nominal compound)

1. regarding the person who has destroyed the effluents; about the arahant

Built from

• khīṇa — stem · destroyed
  Past participle of khīyati (to wear away, diminish), from √khī. The sense 'destroyed' is passive: the effluents have been worn away or extinguished.
• asava — root · effluent, canker
  a- (without) + sava (flowing), from √su (to flow). The four āsavas—sensuality, becoming, ignorance, false view—are the impurities that flow out and sustain rebirth.
• vasena — ending · by way of
  Instrumental singular of vasa, meaning manner or means. This ending marks the adverbial sense: 'in the manner of', 'by the criterion of' the destroyed effluents.

Analysis. khīṇa-asava-vasena: khīṇa (destroyed, past participle of khīyati) + asava (effluent, canker) + vasena (by way of, instrumental). The compound describes an arahant by the defining characteristic of having destroyed all āsavas (sensual craving, becoming, ignorance, and false view). Used in the canon to denote the arahant's final attainment.

Etymology. khīṇa from √khī (to be diminished, wear away; cognate with Sanskrit kṣī and Greek phthī- in phthínō 'to waste away', English wither). The prefix a- (without) + asava (effluent) gives the core image: the fires of craving and ignorance have been extinguished. Vasena is instrumental of vasa (manner, way), from √vas (to dwell, abide).

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

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