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vicikicchānīvaraṇassa

vicikicchānīvaraṇa

nt dat sg of vicikicchānīvaraṇa (noun); nt gen sg of vicikicchānīvaraṇa (noun)

1. obstacle that is doubt; hindrance of uncertainty

Built from

• vi — prefix · apart, scattered
  The mind divided and fragmented; cognitive confusion arising from dispersal.
• cikicchā — root · waver, doubt
  A root expressing hesitation and mental instability; the mind swaying between alternatives.
• nī — prefix · down, into
  Pressing down; covering over. Cognate with English nether, German nieder.
• varaṇa — stem · covering, hindrance
  From √varati 'to cover, bar'; cognate with Latin vēlum (veil). A hindrance is that which covers the mind.
• ssa — ending · dat/gen sg neuter
  Dative or genitive singular ending on a neuter noun; marks the recipient or possession in the sentence.

Analysis. vicikicchā (doubt, wavering) + nīvaraṇa (hindrance, covering); the nīvaraṇa ('hindrances') are five mental obstacles to meditation in Buddhist psychology, of which doubt is one.

Etymology. vicikicchā is derived from vi- (apart, asunder, in different directions — the mind scattered) + √cikicchati (to waver, hesitate), from an Indo-European root meaning 'to shake' or 'to sway'. nīvaraṇa is from ni- (down, into) + √varati (to cover, bar), cognate with Latin vēlum (veil, covering). The compound expresses the sense that doubt covers or obstructs the mind, pressing it down into confusion.

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

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