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vihārā

vihāra

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

1. dwelling; residence; abode
2. monastery
3. mode of living; way of life; way to spend time; mode of existence
4. meditation attainment; state of mind

Built from

• vi — prefix · apart, asunder
  Marks separation and direction in different ways; here it intensifies the sense of leaving behind settled life.
• hāra — stem · carrying, bearing
  From √hṛ 'to carry, bear, leave'; the -a- is a thematic vowel, -ra a verbal suffix. In early Buddhist Pali, the term denoted wandering ascetics' dwellings, then monasteries generally.

Etymology. vi- (apart, asunder) + √hṛ (to carry, leave): originally 'wandering apart', hence 'wandering', then 'dwelling-place for wanderers' (monks). Cognate with English 'carry' (PIE *ǵʰer-); the prefix vi- works like Latin dis- (discard, disperse).

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

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