Assa; 2 Definition(s)

Introduction

Assa means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

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Pali-English dictionary

assa : (3rd sing. potential) may be. (Dat. and Gen. sing. of ima:) to this; of this. (m.), 1. a horse; 2. a corner. || assā (f.), a mare. (Dat. and Gen. sing. of ima:) to her; of her.

1) Assa, ⁵ 3. sg. Pot. of asmi (see atthi). (Page 90)

2) Assa, ⁴ is Gen. Dat. sg. of ayaṃ, this. (Page 90)

3) Assa, ³ (Vedic aśva, cp. Av. aspō; Gr. i(/ppos, dial. i(/kkos; Lat. equus; Oir. ech; Gall. epo-; Cymr. ep, Goth. aíhva; Os. ehu; Ags. eoh) a horse; often mentioned alongside of and comb^d. with hatthi (elephant) Vin. III, 6 (pañcamattehi assa-satehi), 52 (enum^d. under catuppadā, quadrupeds, with hatthi oṭṭha goṇa gadrabha & pasuka); A. II, 207; V, 271; Sn. 769 (gavâssa). At Th. II, 229 the commentary explains caturassa as “four in hand＂ ; but the context shows that the more usual sense of caturassa (see assa²) was probably what the poet meant; Dh. 94, 143, 144 (bhadra, a good horse), 380 (id.); Vv 20³ (+ assatarī); VvA. 78; DhA. I, 392 (hatthi-assâdayo); Sdhp. 367 (duṭṭh°).

—ājāniya (cp. BSk. aśvājāneya Divy 509, 511) a thoroughbred horse, a blood horse A. I, 77, 244; II, 113 sq. , 250 sq. ; III, 248, 282 sq. ; IV, 188, 397; V, 166, 323; PvA. 216. See also ājāniya. —âroha one who climbs on a horse, a rider on horseback, N. of an occupation “cavalry＂ D. I, 51 (+ hatthâroha; expl^d. at DA. I, 156 by sabbe pi assācariyaassavejja-assabhaṇḍādayo). —kaṇṇa N. of a tree, Vatica Robusta, lit. “horse-ear＂ (cp. similarly Goth. aíhva-tundi the thornbush, lit. horse-tooth) J. II, 161; IV, 209; VI, 528. —khaluṅka an inferior horse (“shaker＂), opp. sadassa. A. I, 287 = IV. 397. —tthara a horse cover, a horse blanket Vin. I, 192; D. I, 7 —damma a horse to be tamed, a fierce horse, a stallion A. II, 112; °sārathi a horse trainer A. II, 112, 114; V, 323 sq. ; DhA. IV, 4. —potaka the young of a horse, a foal or colt J. II, 288. —bandha a groom J. II, 98; V, 449; DhA. I, 392. —bhaṇḍa (for °bandha？ or should we read °paṇḍaka？) a groom or horse-trainer, a trader in horses Vin. I, 85 (see on form of word Kern, Toev. p. 35). —bhaṇḍaka horse-trappings J. II, 113. —maṇḍala circus Vism. 308, cp. M. I, 446. —maṇḍalika exercising-ground Vin. III, 6. —medha N. of a sacrifice: the horse-sacrifice (Vedic aśvamedha as Np. ) S. I, 76 (v. l. sassa°); It. 21 (+ purisamedha); Sn. 303. —yuddha a horse-fight D. I, 7. —rūpaka a figure of a horse, a toy horse DhA. II, 69 (+ hatthi-rūpaka). —lakkhaṇa (earning fees by judging) the marks on a horse D. I, 9. —laṇḍa horse-manure, horsedung DhA. IV, 156 (hatthi-laṇḍa +). —vāṇija a horsedealer Vin. III, 6. —sadassa a noble steed of the horse kind A. I, 289 = IV. 397 (in comparison with purisa°). (Page 90)

4) Assa, ² (for aṃsa² = Sk. aśra point, corner, cp. Sk. aśri, Gr. a)/kros & o)cuζ sharp, Lat. acer) corner, point; occurs only in cpd. caturassa four-cornered, quadrangular, regular (of symmetrical form, Vin. II, 316; J. IV, 46, 492; Pv. II, 1¹⁹. Perhaps also at Th. 2, 229 (see under assa³). Occurs also in form caturaṃsa under catur). (Page 90)

5) Assa, ¹ (for aṃsa¹, q. v. for etym. ) shoulder; in cpd. assapuṭa shoulder-bag, knapsack i.e. a bag containing provisions, Instr. assupuṭena with provisions. Later exegesis has interpreted this as a bag full of ashes, and vv. ll. as well as Commentators take assa = bhasma ashes (thus also Morris J P T S. 1893, 10 without being able to give an etymology). The word was already misunderstood by Bdhgh. when he explained the Dīgha passage by bhasmapuṭena, sīse chārikaṃ okiritvā ti attho DA. I, 267. After all it is the same as puṭaṃsa (see under aṃsa¹).—D. I, 98, cp. A. II, 242 (v. l. bhasma°); DA. I, 267 (v. l. bhassa°). (Page 90)

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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