vibhavā

vibhava

masc nom pl of vibhava (noun); masc instr sg of vibhava (noun); masc abl sg of vibhava (noun); masc voc sg of vibhava (noun); …

decline; loss; regress
nonexistence; annihilation; extermination
wealthy; property; possessions
power; strength; might

Built from

vi — prefix · apart, asunder
Intensifying prefix that separates or divides. Related to Latin dis- and Greek dia-, cognate with dvi 'two'.
bhava — root · becoming, being, state
Root bhū 'to be, become'. Cognate with Sanskrit bhavati, English be, Germanic *beuaną. The noun bhava denotes either a state of existence or a round of rebirth in saṁsāra.

Analysis. vi + bhava: from √bhū 'to be'. The prefix vi- 'apart, asunder' applied to bhava 'becoming, state of being' yields 'separation from being' or 'cessation of being', hence both 'nonexistence' (ontological sense) and 'loss, decline' (practical sense); extended to 'wealth' as that which supports or sustains existence, and 'power' as the capacity to manifest or become.

Etymology. √bhū 'to be' (Sanskrit bhavati, English be, cognate with Germanic *beuaną); prefix vi- 'apart, asunder' (like Latin dis-, Greek dia-) separates or intensifies the root's meaning. The polysemy reflects Pali philosophical usage: in abhidhamma vibhava denotes the annihilation-view (ucchedavāda), while in secular contexts it means property or estate.

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

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