1. to breathe, to breathe out, to exhale Ja.i.163; Ja.vi.305 (gloss assāsento passāsento susu ti saddaṃ karonto); Vism.272. Usually in comb^n. with passasati to inhale, i.e. to breathe in & out, DN.ii.291 = MN.i.56, cp MN.i.425; Ja.ii.53, cp. Ja.v.36.
2. to breathe freely or quietly, to feel relieved, to be comforted, to have courage SN.iv.43; Ja.iv.93 assasitvāna ger. = vissamitvā c.); Ja.vi.190 (assāsa imper., with mā soci); med. assase Ja.iv.57 (C for asmase T.; expl^d. by vissase), Ja.iv.111 (˚itvā).
3. to enter by the breath, to bewitch, enchant, take possession Ja.iv.495 (= assāsa-vātena upahanati āvisati C.)
   caus assāseti

pp assattha². See also assāsa-passāsa.

ā + śvas, on semantical inversion of ā & pa see under ā¹ 3