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subhagavane

subhagavana

nt acc pl of subhagavana (noun); nt loc sg of subhagavana (noun)

1. name of a wood in Ukkaṭṭhā; lit. blessed wood

Built from

• su — prefix · well, good
  Intensive and positive marker from Indo-European *su-, same root as Greek eu- (eulogy). Marks auspiciousness, ease, and blessing.
• bha — root · shine, become, appear
  √bhā (Sanskrit bhāti, English be cognate). Conveys radiance, manifestation, and spiritual favour. Related to bhagavant- (fortunate).
• vana — stem · wood, forest
  Sanskrit vana, likely from √van 'desire, win'. The forest as a place of sought-out refuge and dwelling.

Analysis. subha + vana: su- 'well, good' + bha 'becoming, shining' + vana 'wood, forest'. A compound epithet: 'wood of good becoming' or 'auspicious forest', used as a proper noun for a grove in the region of Ukkaṭṭhā.

Etymology. su- (eu-, 'well, good'; cognate with Greek eu- in eulogy, English good conceptually) + √bhā 'shine, become, appear' (Sanskrit bhāti, cognate with English be) + vana 'forest' (Sanskrit vana, from √van 'desire, win'; the forest as desired place). The prefix su- carries the sense of auspiciousness and blessing; bhagavant- (fortunate, blessed) shares the √bhā sense of radiance and favour.

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

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