1. 1. in special sense: a meeting or a chapter of (two or three bhikkhus, a company (opposed both to sangha, the order & puggala, the individual) Vin.i.58, Vin.i.74, Vin.i.195, Vin.i.197 Vin.ii.170, Vin.ii.171; Vin.iv.130, Vin.iv.216, Vin.iv.226, Vin.iv.231, Vin.iv.283, Vin.iv.310, Vin.iv.316, Vin.iv.317 Vin.v.123, Vin.v.167
   2. in general: a crowd, a multitude, a great many. See compounds

2. as-˚: a collection of, viz. of gods, men, animals or things; a multitude, mass flock, herd; host, group, cluster

   1. deva˚ Ja.i.203; Dhp-a.iii.441; Pv-a.140 (˚parivuta); pisāca˚ SN.i.33 tidasa˚ Snp.679
   2. amacca˚ suite of ministers Ja.i.264; ariya˚ troup of worthies Ja.vi.50; naranarī˚ crowds of men & women Mil.2; dāsi˚ a crowd of servants Ja.ii.127; tāpasa˚ a group of ascetics Ja.i.140 (˚parivuta) bhikkhu˚ Ja.i.212 (˚parivuta)
   3. dvija˚ Ja.i.152 dija˚ Pv.ii.12#4; sakuṇa˚, of birds Ja.i.207; Ja.ii.352; go˚ of cows AN.i.229; AN.v.347, AN.v.359; Ja.ii.128; kākola˚, of ravens Snp.675; bhamarā˚, of bees Ja.i.52; miga˚ of beasts Ja.i.150
   4. taru˚ a cluster of trees Pv-a.154; tāra˚ a host of stars AN.i.215; Pv.ii.9#67; with ref. to the books of the Canon: Suttantika˚ & Ābhidhammika˚ Vism.93.

• -ācariya “a teacher of a crowd,” i.e. a t. who has (many) followers. Always in phrase sanghī ca gaṇī ca ganācariyo ca, and always with ref. either to Gotama DN.i.116; MN.ii.3; or to the 6 chief sectarian leaders, as Pūraṇa Kassapa, etc.: DN.i.47, DN.i.163; SN.i.68; SN.iv.398; MN.i.198, MN.i.227, MN.i.233; MN.ii.2; Snp.p.91; cp. DN-a.i.143. In general: Mil.4.
• -ārāma (adj.) &
• -ārāmatā in phrase gaṇārāmo gaṇarato gaṇārāmataṃ anuyutto: a lover of the crowd AN.iii.422 sq.; MN.iii.110 = Nd ii.on Snp.54
• -gaṇin the leader of many, epithet of Bhagavā Cnd.307
• -(ṃ)gaṇupāhanā (pl.) shoes with many linings Vin.i.185 Vin.i.187; cp. Vin. Texts ii.14. See also Bdhgh. on aṭaliyo (q.v. under aṭala).
• -pūraka (adj.) one who completes the quorum (of a bhikkhus chapter) Vin.i.143 sq.
• -bandhana in ˚ena dānaṃ datvā to give by co-operation to give jointly Dhp-a.ii.160;
• -bhojana food prepared as a joint meal Vin.ii.196; Vin.iv.71; Vin.v.128, Vin.v.135, Vin.v.205;
• -magga in ˚ena gaṇetuṃ to count by way of batches Vin.i.117
• -ācariya “a teacher of a crowd,” i.e. a t. who has (many) followers. Always in phrase sanghī ca gaṇī ca ganācariyo ca, and always with ref. either to Gotama DN.i.116; MN.ii.3; or to the 6 chief sectarian leaders, as Pūraṇa Kassapa, etc.: DN.i.47, DN.i.163; SN.i.68; SN.iv.398; MN.i.198, MN.i.227, MN.i.233; MN.ii.2; Snp.p.91; cp. DN-a.i.143. In general: Mil.4.
• -saṅganika (adj.) coming into contact with one another Dhp-a.i.162.

Vedic gaṇa; *ger to comprise, hold, or come together, cp. Gr. ἀγείρω to collect, ἀγορά meeting, Lat. grex flock, Sk. jarante “conveniunt” (see Wackernagel Altind. Gr. i.193). Another form of this root is grem in Sk. grāma, Lat. gremium; see under gāma