bhikkhā
begged food, alms, alms-begging; food Vin.iv.94; Cp.i.1#4; Vv.70#4 (ekāhā bh. food for one day) Mil.16; Pv-a.3, Pv-a.75, Pv-a.131 (kaṭacchu˚); bhikkhāya carati to go out begging food [cp. Sk. bhaikṣaṃ carati] Ja.iii.82 Ja.v.75; Pv-a.51 & passim
■ subhikkha (nt.) abundance of food DN.i.11. dubbhikkha (nt.) (& -ā f.) scantiness of alms, famine, scarcity of food, adj. famine-stricken (cp. Sk. durbhikṣaṃ) Vin.ii.175; Vin.iii.87 (adj.); Vin.iv.23 (adj.); SN.iv.323, SN.iv.324 (dvīhitikaṃ); AN.i.160; AN.iii.41; Ja.ii.149, Ja.ii.367; Ja.v.193; Ja.vi.487; Cp.i.3#3 (adj.); Vism.415 (˚pīḷita), Vism.512 (f. in simile); Kp-a.218; Dhp-a.i.169 Dhp-a.ii.153 (f.); Dhp-a.iii.437 (˚bhaya).
- -āhāra food received by a mendicant Ja.i.237 (= bhikkhu-āhāra?).
- -cariyā going about for alms, begging round Snp.700; Pv-a.146.
- -cāra = ˚cariyā Mhbv.28
- -paññatti declaration of alms, announcement that food is to be given to the Sangha, a dedication of food Vin.i.309.
cp. Epic & Class. Sk. bhaikṣa of; bhikṣ, adj. & nt.