‹ Back to the text

mahaggataṁ

mahaggatā

past participle (accusative singular masculine) of mahaggatā, derived from √gam via mahagga; or adjective in accusative singular

1. become great/exalted
2. grown, elevated
3. expanded

Built from

• mah — root · grow, increase
  The root underlying mahā; appears in Sanskrit mahant 'great' and cognates with English 'make' (cause to grow).
• ā — prefix · toward, up to
  Reverses or directs motion verbs; here intensifies the sense of becoming or reaching greatness.
• g — root · go, move
  The root √gam (Sanskrit gacchati, English 'come'); the –gg– is a Pali geminate from consonant assimilation.
• atā — ending · past participle, accusative singular masculine
  The participial ending marking completed action in the accusative case, agreeing with a masculine noun it modifies.

Analysis. mahā + ggatā: mahā (great) + √gam (go) with the prefix suggesting upward motion or expansion; literally 'gone great', hence become elevated or exalted; often describes mental states that have expanded or grown in the meditative path

Etymology. mahā (great, from √mah 'grow, increase') + √gam (go, move; cognate with English 'come', Latin 'venio'); the combination suggests motion toward or achievement of greatness; in the Suttas, applied to consciousness or mental factors that expand beyond ordinary bounds

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

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