to become, to be, exist, behave etc. (cp. Cnd.474 sambhavati jāyati nibbattati pātu-bhavati)

I. Forms

There are two bases used side by side, viz bhav˚; and (contracted) ho˚; the latter especially in the (later) Gāthā style and poetry in general, also as archaic in prose, whereas bhav˚ forms are older. On compounds with prepositions, as regards inflection, see Geiger, P.Gr. §§ 131², 151³; and cp. anubhavati, abhibhavati abhisaṃ˚, pa˚ (see pahoti and pahūta), pari˚ vi˚, saṃ˚.

pres ind. bhavāmi Snp.511 & homi Ja.iii.260; 2^nd bhavasi & hosī MN.iii.140; Vv.84#20; 3^rd bhavati freq.; Snp.36 (where Cnd.474 with variant reading BB of Snp reads bhavanti; Divy p.294 also reads bhavanti snehāḥ as conjecture of Cowell’s for MSS. bhavati) Dhp.249, Dhp.375; & hoti freq.; 1^st pl. homa Pv.i.11#8 2^nd hotha Ja.i.307; 3^rd bhavanti & honti; freq
imper 2^nd sg. bhava Snp.337, Snp.340, Snp.701; Dhp.236; Thig.8 bhavāhi Snp.510; hohi Snp.31; MN.iii.134; Ja.i.32; Pv-a.89; 3^rd sg. hotu Snp.224; Ja.iii.150; Pv-a.13; Mil.18. pl 1^st med. bhavāmase Thag.1128; Snp.32; 2^nd pl. bhavatha Ja.ii.218, bhavātha Snp.692; Dhp.144; hotha Dhp.243; Dhp.ii.141; Ja.ii.302; Dhp-a.i.57; 3^rd pl. bhavantu Snp.145; hontu Ja.ii.4.
pot 1^st sg. bhaveyyaṃ Ja.vi.364 2^nd bhaveyyāsi Ud.91; Pv-a.11; 3^rd bhave Snp.716 bhaveyya Ja.ii.159; Dhp-a.i.329, & hupeyya Vin.i.8 (for huveyya: see Geiger,

Pali Grammar

§ 39#6 & 131²); pl. 1^st bhaveyyāma; 2^nd bhavetha Snp.1073, 3^rd bhaveyyuṃ Snp.906
ppr bhavaṃ Snp.92, & bhavanto Snp.968; f hontī Pv-a.79
fut 1^st sg. bhavissāmi Pv-a.49 hessāmi Thig.460 (Thag-a.283 reads bhavissāmi); hessaṃ Thag.1100; Ja.iii.224; Pv.i.10#5; 2^nd bhavissasi Pv-a.16, hohisi Pv.i.3#3; 3^rd bhavissati Dhp.228, Dhp.264; Dhp-a.ii.82, hessati Ja.iii.279 & med.; hessate Mhvs.25 Mhvs.97, hehitī Bv.ii.10 = AN.i.4; Vv.63#32; & hossati (in pahossati fr. pahoti Dhp-a.iii.254); 1^st pl. bhavissāma Dhp.200; 2^nd hessatha SN.iv.179; 3^rd bhavissanti freq
■ Cond. 1^st sg. abhavissaṃ Ja.i.470; 2^nd abhavissa Ja.ii.11; Ja.iii.30; 3^rd abhavissa Iti.37; Vin.i.13; DN.ii.57; MN.iii.163; Ja.i.267; Ja.ii.112 (na bhavissa = nābhavissa?) 3^rd pl. abhavissaṃsu Vin.i.13.
■ 1*^st aor.* (orig. pret. of *huvati, cp. hupeyya Pot.; see Geiger

Pali Grammar

§ 131#2, 162²) 1^st sg. ahuvā SN.i.36, with by-form (see aor.) ahuvāsiṃ Vv.82#6; 2^nd ahuvā ibid., 3^rd ahuvā Vv.81#24; Ja.ii.106 Ja.iii.131; 1^st pl. ahuvāma MN.i.93; MN.ii.214, & ahuvamha ibid.; 2^nd ahuvattha SN.iv.112; MN.i.445; Dhp-a.i.57. 2*^nd aor.* (simple aor., with pret. endings): 1^st sg. ahuṃ Pv.ii.3#2 (variant reading BB ahu) (= ahosiṃ Pv-a.83); 2^nd ahu (sk abhūḥ) Pv.ii.3#5; 3^rd ahū (Sk. abhūt) Snp.139, Snp.312, Snp.504 and passim; Pv.i.2#3, & ahu Pv.i.9#3; Pv.i.11#3; & bhavi Dhp-a.i.329 (pātubhavi); 1^st pl. ahumhā (Sk. abhūma Pv.i.11#6, & ahumha Ja.i.362; Dhp-a.i.57. 3*^rd aor.* (s aor.) 1^st sg. ahosiṃ Thag.620; Ja.i.106; Vv-a.321; Pv-a.10 (= āsiṃ); 2^nd ahosi Ja.i.107; 3^rd ahosi Snp.835; Vin.i.23; 1^st pl. ahesumha MN.i.265; 3^rd ahesuṃ DN.ii.5; Vv.74#4; Ja.i.149; Dhp-a.i.327; & bhaviṃsu (Sk abhāviṣuḥ) Dhp-a.iv.15
■ Of medial forms we mention the 1^st pl. pres. bhavāmahe Mhvs.i.65, and the 3^rd sg pret. ahuvattha Vv-a.103
inf bhavituṃ Snp.552; hetuye Bv.ii.10
ger bhavitvā Snp.56, hutvā Snp.43 & hutvāna Snp.281
grd bhavitabba Ja.i.440; Ja.vi.368 hotabba Vin.i.46; bhabba (Sk. bhavya); see sep. bhuyya see cpd. abhibhuyya
caus bhāveti see sep
pp bhūta.

Note. In compound with nouns or adjectives the final vowel of these is changed into ī, as in combination of the same with the root kṛ; e.g. bhasmībhavati to be reduced to ashes, cp. bhasmī-karaṇa s. v. bhasma, etc.

II. Meanings.

In general the meaning “to become, to get” prevails, but many shades of it are possible according to context & combinations. It is impossible & unnecessary to enumerate all shades of meaning, only a few idiomatic uses may be pointed out.

1. to happen, to occur, to befall Ja.vi.368.
2. The fut bhavissati “is certainly,” “must be” Dhp-a.iii.171 (sātthikā desanā bh.); Mil.40 (mātā ti pi na bh.).
3. Imper. hotu as adv. “very well” Mil.18 (hotu bhante very well, sir).
4. aor. in meaning and as substitute of āsiṃ, pret. of as to be; etad ahosi this occurred to him Dhp-a.i.399 (assā etad ahosi “this thought struck her”).

bhū to become, cp. Sk. bhūmi earth; Gr. φύσις nature (physical), φύομαι to grow; Lat. fui I have been futurus = future; Oir. buith to be; Ags. būan = Goth bauan to live, Ger. bauen, also Ags. bȳldan = to build Lith. búti to be, būtas house Dhtp.1: bhū sattāyaṃ.