‹ Back to the text

paṭighānusayaṁ

paṭighānusaya

accusative singular masculine of paṭighānusaya (compound noun); surface form paṭighānusayaṁ

1. latent tendency to aversion
2. underlying propensity to resistance or ill-will

Built from

• paṭi — prefix · back, against
  Marks opposition and reactive counter-movement, here shaping the quality of aversion as turning-away-from.
• ghāna — stem · hatred, aversion
  Derived from √ghas (to dislike, be repelled); the concrete sense is recoil or revulsion.
• anu — prefix · along, trailing
  Part of nusaya; marks something that persists as a track or disposition left behind.
• saya — root · lie, sit (latent)
  √sī (to sit, recline) used here as a verbal base for the abstract noun; expresses how the tendency lies dormant in the substrate of mind.
• aṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Marks the direct object case, showing paṭighānusaya as the thing being grasped or understood in doctrinal discourse.

Analysis. paṭi-ghāna-nusaya: paṭi 'back, against' + ghāna 'hatred, aversion' (from √ghas 'dislike') + nusaya 'underlying tendency, latent disposition' (anu 'along, trailing' + √sī 'sit, lie'). The compound denotes a deep-rooted propensity toward resistance and rejection that lies dormant in the mind.

Etymology. Formed from paṭi- (back, counter-to) + ghāna (aversion; related to √ghas) + nusaya (latent tendency: anu 'trailing behind' + √sī 'sit'). Ghāna itself is cognate with Sanskrit ghasmara 'devouring'. The prefix paṭi- conveys opposition and counter-movement, while nusaya (lying along the grain) names a disposition that persists beneath conscious awareness. Common in the Abhidhamma analysis of the three fundamental latent tendencies (anusaya) alongside lobha-nusaya (greed) and ditthi-nusaya (wrong view).

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

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