adjective noun Before Buddhism used as honorific title of high officials like the English ʻHis Worship’; at the rise of Buddhism applied popularly to all ascetics (Dial. iii.3–⁠6). Adopted by the Buddhisṭs as t.t. for one who has attained the Summum Bonum of religious aspiration (Nibbāna).

1. Cases nom. sg. arahaṃ Vin.i.9; DN.i.49; MN.i.245 MN.i.280; SN.i.169; see also formula C. under ii., & arahā Vin.i.8, Vin.i.25, Vin.i.26; Vin.ii.110, Vin.ii.161; DN.iii.255; Iti.95; Kp iv. gen. arahato SN.iv.175; Snp.590; instr. arahatā SN.iii.168; DN-a.i.43; acc. arahantaṃ DN.iii.10; Dhp.420; Snp.644 Loc. arahantamhi Vv.21#2
   ■ nom. pl. arahanto Vin.i.19; Vin.iv.112; SN.i.78, SN.i.235; SN.ii.220; SN.iv.123; gen. arahataṃ Vin.iii.1; SN.i.214; Snp.186; Iti.112; Pv.i.11#12. Other cases are of rare occurrence.

2. Formulae. Arahantship finds its expression in frequently occurring formulae, of which the standard ones are the foll.:

   1. khīṇā jāti vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ nāparaṃ itthattāya “destroyed is (re-) birth lived is a chaste life, (of a student) done is what had to be done, after this present life there is no beyond”. Vin.i.14, Vin.i.35, Vin.i.183; DN.i.84, DN.i.177, DN.i.203; MN.i.139; MN.ii.39; SN.i.140; SN.ii.51, SN.ii.82, SN.ii.95, SN.ii.120, SN.ii.245; SN.iii.21, SN.iii.45, SN.iii.55, SN.iii.68, SN.iii.71, SN.iii.90 SN.iii.94, SN.iii.195, SN.iii.223; SN.iv.2, SN.iv.20, SN.iv.35, SN.iv.45, SN.iv.86, SN.iv.107, SN.iv.151, SN.iv.383; SN.v.72 SN.v.90, SN.v.144, SN.v.222; AN.i.165; AN.ii.211; AN.iii.93; AN.iv.88, AN.iv.179, AN.iv.302 AN.v.155, AN.v.162; Snp.p.16; Pp.61, etc
   2. eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto ʻalone, secluded, earnest zealous, master of himself’ DN.i.177; DN.ii.153 & continued with A: SN.i.140, SN.i.161; SN.ii.21; SN.iii.36, SN.iii.74; SN.iv.64 SN.v.144, SN.v.166; AN.i.282; AN.ii.249; AN.iii.70, AN.iii.217, AN.iii.301, AN.iii.376; AN.iv.235
   3. arahaṃ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anupatta-sadattho parikkhīṇa-bhava-saññojano sammad-aññā vimutto: DN.iii.83, DN.iii.97; MN.i.4 MN.i.235; SN.i.71; SN.iii.161, SN.iii.193; SN.iv.125; SN.v.145, SN.v.205, SN.v.273, SN.v.302; AN.i.144; AN.iii.359, AN.iii.376; AN.iv.362, AN.iv.369, AN.iv.371 sq., Iti.38. D. ñāṇañ ca pana me dassanaṃ udapādi akuppā me ceto-vimutti ayaṃ antimā jāti natthi dāni punabbhavo “there arose in me insight, the emancipation of my heart became unshake able, this is my last birth, there is now no rebirth for me: SN.ii.171; SN.iii.28; SN.iv.8; SN.v.204; AN.i.259 AN.iv.56, AN.iv.305, AN.iv.448.

3. Other passages (selected) Vin.i.8 (arahā sītibhūto nibbuto), Vin.i.9 (arahaṃ Tathāgato Sammāsambuddho), Vin.i.19 (ekādasa loke arahanto), Vin.i.20 (ekasaṭṭhi id.), Vin.i.25 sq.; Vin.ii.110, Vin.ii.161; Vin.iii.1; Vin.iv.112 (te arahanto udake kīḷanti); DN.i.49 (Bhagavā arahaṃ), DN.i.144; DN.iii.10, DN.iii.255; MN.i.245 (Gotamo na pi kālaṃ karoti: arahaṃ samaṇo Gotamo), MN.i.280; SN.i.9, SN.i.26, SN.i.50 (Tathāgato), SN.i.78, SN.i.140, SN.i.161, SN.i.169, SN.i.175, SN.i.178 (+ sītibhūta), SN.i.208, SN.i.214, SN.i.235 (khīnāsavā arahanto); SN.iii.160 (arahā tissa?), SN.iii.168; SN.iv.123, SN.iv.175, SN.iv.260, SN.iv.393; SN.v.159 sq., SN.v.164, SN.v.200 sq.; AN.i.22 (Sammāsambuddho), AN.i.27, AN.i.109 AN.i.266; AN.ii.134; AN.iii.376, AN.iii.391, AN.iii.439; AN.iv.364, AN.iv.394; AN.v.120; Snp.186, Snp.590, Snp.644, Snp.1003; Iti.95 (+ khīṇāsava), Iti.112; Kp iv. (dasahi angehi samannāgato arahā ti vuccati: see Kp-a.88); Vv.21#2; i.217; Dhp.164, Dhp.420 (khīṇāsava +); Pts.ii.3 Pts.ii.19, Pts.ii.194, Pts.ii.203 sq.; Pp.37, Pp.73; Vb.324, Vb.336, Vb.422; Pv.i.1#1 (khettûpamā arahanto), Pv.i.11#12; Pv.iv.1#32.

4. In comp^n. & der. we find two bases, viz.

   1. arahanta˚ in -ghāta the killing or murder of an Arahant (considered as one of the six deadly crimes): see abhiṭhāna; -ghātaka the murderer of the A.: Vin.i.89, Vin.i.136 Vin.i.168, Vin.i.320; -magga (arahatta˚?) the path of an A.: DN.ii.144
   2. arahat˚; in (arahad-) dhaja the flag or banner of an A.: Ja.i.65.

5. See further details & passages under anāgāmin khīṇa, buddha. On the relationship of Buddha and Arahant see Dial. ii.1–3; iii.6. For riddles or word-play on the form arahant see MN.i.280; AN.iv.145; DN-a.i.146 = Vv-a.105, Vv-a.6 = Pv-a.7; Dhp-a.iv.228; Dhs-a.349.

Vedic arhant, ppr. of arhati (see arahati), meaning deserving, worthy