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paccuppannasukhaṁ

paccuppannasukha

accusative singular neuter of paccuppannasukha, a compound adjective/noun

1. present happiness
2. immediate well-being
3. pleasure here and now

Built from

• paṭi — prefix · back, against
  Spatial: facing back or counter to; marks opposition or return. Cognate: Greek proti.
• ud — prefix · up, out
  Spatial: upward and outward. Cognate: English out, German aus.
• pad — root · fall, arise
  The root meaning is 'step forward, fall, arise'; here uppanna 'arisen, present' forms the secondary idea of what stands forth now.
• suk — root · well, ease
  From su 'well' + kha, possibly related to √sthā 'stand'; the root meaning 'ease' or 'well-being'.
• a — ending · neuter accusative
  The -a ending marks neuter accusative singular in this phrase, showing the direct object or goal of clinging in the formula on immediate pleasure.

Analysis. pacc-uppanna-sukhaṁ: paṭi (back, against) + uppanna (arisen, present) + sukha (happiness); 'happiness that stands forth right here' — the pleasure of the immediate moment, contrasted with sukha of future rebirth or nibbāna.

Etymology. paṭi- 'back, against, counter' (Greek proti) + uppanna 'arisen' (ud 'up' + √pad 'arise') + sukha 'ease' (su 'well' + kha, probably *sthā 'stand'); the compound emphasizes what is present and pressing in this very moment.

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

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