mohakkhayo

mohakkhaya

masc nom sg of mohakkhaya (noun)

wearing away of delusion; extinction of stupidity

Built from

moha — root · delusion, confusion
From √muh (to bewilder, confuse). Moha is one of the three unwholesome roots (akusala mūla) alongside lobha (greed) and dosa (hatred).
kkhaya — root · wearing away, decay, extinction
From √kṣi (to waste away, decay). Sanskrit kṣaya; cognate with Greek 'schiazō' (split, wear out). Denotes gradual destruction through time and use.

Analysis. moha (delusion, confusion) + kkhaya (wearing away, decay). A compound describing the progressive elimination of moha, one of the three unwholesome roots (alongside greed and hatred), through Buddhist practice.

Etymology. moha from √muh (become confused, bewilder); kkhaya from √kṣi (waste away, decay, wear out) — related to Sanskrit kṣaya and English 'hash' (to wear ragged). In Buddhist doctrine, mohakkhaya is the gradual erosion of ignorance (avijjā) and delusion through insight (paññā) and the development of wisdom.

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

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