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surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā

surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāna

nt nom pl of surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāna (noun); nt instr sg of surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāna (noun); nt abl sg of surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāna (noun); nt voc sg of surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāna (noun); …

1. distilled and fermented liquor, drugs and states of intoxication

Built from

• surā — root · liquor, distilled drink
  A noun of uncertain origin, possibly Dravidian. Appears in Sanskrit and Pali texts as the standard term for intoxicating spirits.
• meraya — root · wine, fermented drink
  Related to Sanskrit mayira and mada (intoxication). Denotes fermented beverages distinct from distilled spirits.
• majja — stem · intoxicant, drug
  Derived from majjati (to reel, to be intoxicated). The form is a gerundive or past participle sense, 'that which intoxicates.'
• pamāda — stem · heedlessness, negligence
  From pa + √mād (to be confused, bewildered); pa- is the prefix marking forward/intensification here. Denotes the mental state brought on by intoxication.
• ṭṭhāna — stem · basis, ground, place
  From Sanskrit sthāna (√sthā, 'to stand'). Marks the place or foundation upon which something rests; here, the source or cause of heedlessness.

Analysis. A compound of five elements: surā (liquor) + meraya (wine) + majja (intoxicant) + pamāda (heedlessness, intoxication) + ṭṭhāna (basis, ground). The compound denotes collectively the substances and states of mind produced by alcohol and drugs—the grounds upon which heedlessness arises. It functions as a category noun, often listed in the five precepts as something to be avoided.

Etymology. surā comes from Sanskrit surā, of uncertain origin, possibly from a Dravidian source; meraya is attested in Pali and Sanskrit (mayira-) in the sense of wine or fermented drink, possibly related to Sanskrit mada (intoxication); majja (from majjati, to reel, intoxicate) is the passive past participle meaning 'intoxicated substance'; pamāda (from pramāda in Sanskrit, pa + mād-) denotes heedlessness, recklessness—the outcome of intoxication; ṭṭhāna (Sanskrit sthāna, from √sthā 'to stand') means basis, place, or ground. The whole compound reflects Buddhist ethical vocabulary, treating alcohol and drugs as a unified category of heedlessness-producing agents.

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

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