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saṁyamena

saṁyama

instrumental singular of saṁyama (masculine noun)

1. restraint
2. control
3. discipline

Built from

• saṁ — prefix · together
  Brings things into one; here, unifying scattered impulses into a single disciplined state. Works like Latin con-.
• yam — root · hold, restrain
  The imagery is of holding back or checking motion; brings together the sense of binding tight.
• a — ending · action noun
  Forms the abstract noun 'the holding together', restraint.
• ena — ending · instrumental singular
  Marks the instrumental case, answering 'by what means?' — the restraint as the instrument or means of discipline.

Analysis. saṁ + yama: 'bringing together' (bringing impulses into one controlled state) + the action noun suffix -a; here inflected as instrumental 'by means of restraint'

Etymology. saṁ (together) + √yam (to hold, check, restrain); cognate with Latin stringere (to bind tight) and Sanskrit yamati. The prefix saṁ- shows how spatial 'together' becomes the abstract sense of unified control.

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

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