kantāra

adjective noun difficult to pass, scil. magga, a difficult road, waste land, wilderness, explained as nirudaka īriṇa Vv-a.334 (on Vv.84#3), combined with maru˚ Pv-a.99 and marukantāramagga Pv-a.112; opp. khemantabhūmi. Usually five kinds of wilds are enumerated cora˚, vāla˚, nirudaka˚, amanussa˚, appabbhakkha Ja.i.99; SN-a.324; 4 kinds at Cnd.630: cora˚, vāla˚, dubhikkha˚ nirudaka˚. The term is used both lit. & fig (of the wilds of ignorance, false doctrine, or of difficulties hardship). As the seat of demons (Petas and Yakkhas freq. in Pv (see above), also Ja.i.395. As diṭṭhi˚; in pass diṭṭhi-gata, etc. MN.i.8, MN.i.486, Pp.22 (on diṭṭhi vipatti).

  • -addhāna a road in the wilderness, a dangerous path (fig.) Thag.95~DN.i.73 = MN.i.276;
  • -paṭipanna a wanderer through the wilderness, i.e. a forester Ja.iii.537.
  • -magga a difficult road (cp. kummagga) Ja.ii.294 (lit.); in simile SN.ii.118.
  • -mukha the entrance to a desert Ja.i.99.

perhaps from kad-tarati, difficult to cross, Sk. (?) kāntāra