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mahāgosiṅgasuttaṁ
Mahāgosiṅgasutta
noun, accusative singular neuter (or nominative in compounds); proper name referring to a discourse in the Majjhima Nikāya (MN 32)
- the Great Gosiṅga Discourse
- a sutta on the forest of Gosiṅga and the Buddha's praise of his leading disciples
Built from
- mahā — root · great, large
Cognate with English 'much' and Sanskrit mahant-. Indicates size or importance, used here as an intensive epithet for the sutta's prominence.
- gosiṅga — root · Gosiṅga (place name)
A forest or mountain sanctuary where the discourse took place; etymology uncertain, possibly connected to gośīrṣa (cow's horn) in Sanskrit. A proper noun left unanalyzed.
- sutta — stem · discourse, thread
From √siv 'to sew'; a discourse is a connected thread of teachings. Used in Pali Canon for the suttas as textual units.
- ṁ — ending · accusative singular
Marks the word as accusative case, common when the title functions as the object of reference (e.g., 'reciting the Mahāgosiṅgasuttaṁ').
Analysis. mahā (great) + gosiṅga (the forest/mountain Gosiṅga, possibly derived from gosīrṣa or similar) + sutta (discourse); the ending -ṁ marks accusative case, common in titles when cited as objects of study.