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yathāsakaṁ

yathāsaka

adverb; accusative neuter singular of yathāsaka (adjective, 'according to one's power')

1. according to one's ability
2. as one is able
3. to the best of one's power

Built from

• yathā — root · as, like
  Adverbial particle expressing comparison or manner, often followed by a noun in the accusative case.
• saka — root · own, one's own
  Possessive/reflexive element derived from the pronoun sa-, indicating personal possession or capacity.
• ṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Accusative neuter ending; the adverbial phrase acts as an uninflected or quasi-accusative modifier of manner.

Analysis. yathā (as, like) + saka (one's own); literally 'as one's own [ability]', expressing conformity to individual capacity.

Etymology. yathā from yadā (when, where); saka from the reflexive pronoun sa-. The construction conveys how actions suit individual circumstances. Cognate with Sanskrit sakti (power, ability) and English sake (as in 'for goodness' sake').

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

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