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parivitakko

parivitakka

masc nom sg of parivitakka (noun)

1. reflection; contemplation; train of thought; thought process; lit. thinking around

Built from

• pari — prefix · around, all the way round
  Adds the sense of completeness and circular movement. Cognates: Greek peri- (perimeter, periscope).
• vitakka — root · thinking, discursive thought
  From vī- (to separate, diverge) + takka (reasoning), or possibly related to √vac (speak). The root sense is thought that moves in different directions, reasoning that elaborates.

Analysis. pari (around) + vitakka (thinking, thought): thinking that goes all the way round a topic; in meditation, discursive thought as distinct from the initial application of mind (vitarka).

Etymology. The root is vitakka, probably from vī- (to separate, to go in different directions) + takka (reasoning, inference), or from √vac (speak) via vitacca; pari- (around, all the way round) adds the sense of circling, complete engagement. The compound suggests thinking that moves around and around a topic, characteristic of the rūpa-jhāna's vitakka-vicāra stage.

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

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