Kadalī¹

feminine

1. the plantain, Musa sapientium. Owing to the softness and unsubstantiality of its trunk it is used as a frequent symbol of unsubstantiality transitoriness and worthlessness. As the plantain or banana plant always dies down after producing fruit, is destroyed as it were by its own fruit, it is used as a simile for a bad man destroyed by the fruit of his own deeds: SN.i.154 = Vin.ii.188 = SN.ii.241 = AN.ii.73 = Dhp-a.iii.156; cp. Mil.166
   ■ as an image of unsubstantiality Cp.iii.2#4. The tree is used as ornament on great festivals: Ja.i.11; Ja.vi.590 (in simile), Ja.vi.592; Vv-a.31
2. a flag, banner, i.e. plantain leaves having the appearance of banners (-dhaja) Ja.v.195; Ja.vi.412. In compounds kadali˚.

• -khandha the trunk of the plantain tree, often in similes as symbol of worthlessness, e.g. MN.i.233; SN.iii.141 = SN.iv.167; Vism.479; Cnd.680 Aⁱⁱ.; Ja.vi.442 as symbol of smoothness and beauty of limbs Vv-a.280
• -taru the plantain tree Dāvs v.49;
• -toraṇa a triumphal arch made of pl. stems and leaves Mhbv.169;
• -patta a pl. leaf used as an improvised plate to eat from Ja.v.4; Dhp-a.i.59;
• -phala the fruit of the plantain Ja.v.37.

Sk. kadalī

Kadalī²

feminine a kind of deer, an antelope only in -miga Ja.v.406, Ja.v.416; Ja.vi.539; DN-a.i.87; and -pavara-pacc. attharaṇa (nt.) the hide of the k. deer, used as a rug or cover DN.i.7 = AN.i.181 = Vin.i.192 = Vin.ii.163, Vin.ii.169; sim DN.ii.187; (adj.) (of pallanka) AN.i.137 = AN.iii.50 = AN.iv.394.