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mahākassapaṁ

mahākassapa

accusative singular of mahākassapa (proper name, masculine)

1. Mahākassapa (a principal disciple of the Buddha, known for ascetic practice and leadership of the sangha)

Built from

• mahā — prefix · great
  Intensifying prefix meaning "great" or "great-" in compounds; here used as an epithet to distinguish this Kassapa from others.
• kassapaṁ — root · Kassapa (personal name)
  A proper name; in accusative singular form ending in -aṁ. Mahākassapa was the foremost elder disciple after the Buddha's parinibbāna.

Analysis. mahā "great" + Kassapa (a personal name, later epithet); Kassapa as a name may derive from √kaṣ "to scratch, pluck" (the name of a brahmin clan associated with fire-worship).

Etymology. mahā from √mah "to be great" (cognate with English much, mighty, Greek megas "great"); Kassapa a proper name of uncertain etymology, possibly connected to the ancient Kassapa Buddha and the brahmin Kassapa clan.

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

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