Agha¹

neuter evil, grief, pain, suffering, misfortune SN.i.22; MN.i.500 (roga gaṇḍa salla agha); AN.ii.128 (id.); Ja.v.100; Thig.491; Sdhp.51
■ adj. painful, bringing pain Ja.vi.507 (agha-m-miga = aghakara m. C.). -bhūta a source of pain SN.iii.189 (+ agha & salla).

cp. Sk. agha, of uncertain etym.

Agha²

masculine neuter the sky, orig. the dark sky, dark space, the abyss of space DN.ii.12; SN.v.45; Vv.16#1 (aghasi gama, loc. vehāsaṃ gama Vv-a.78); Ja.iv.154; Dhs.638 (+ aghagata) Vb.84 (id.).

• -gata going through or being in the sky or atmosphere Dhs.638, Dhs.722; Vb.84.
• -gāmin moving through the atmosphere or space i.e. a planet SN.i.67 = Mil.242 (ādicco seṭṭho aghagāminaṃ).

the etym. suggested by Morris J.P.T.S. 1889, 200 (with ref. to MN.i.500, which belongs under agha¹) is untenable (to Sk. kha, as a-kha = agha, cp Jain Prk. khaha). Neither does the pop. etym. of Bdhgh offer any clue (= a + gha from ghan that which does not strike or aghaṭṭaniya is not strikeable Dhs-a.326 cp. Dhs. trsl. 194 & Ja.iv.154 aghe ṭhitā = appaṭighe ākāse ṭhitā the air which does not offer any resistance) On the other hand the primary meaning is darkness, as seen from the phrase lokantarikā aghā asaṃvutā andhakārā DN.ii.12; SN.v.454, and BSk. aghasaṃvṛta Mvu.i.240, adj. dark Mvu.i.41; Mvu.ii.162; Lal.552