karaṇa

  1. adj. (f. ī) (-˚) doing, making, causing, producing; as cakkhu˚ ñāṇa˚ (leading to clear knowledge) SN.iv.331; SN.v.97; Iti.83; and acakkhu etc. SN.v.97; nāthā ˚ā dhammā AN.v.23 (cp. AN.v.89) and thera˚ AN.ii.22; dubbaṇṇa˚ SN.v.217; see also DN.i.245 MN.i.15; SN.v.96, SN.v.115; AN.iv.94; AN.v.268; Mil.289.
  2. (nt.) (-˚) the making, producing of; the doing, performance of (= kamma), as bali˚ offering of food = bali kamma) Pv-a.81; gabbha˚ Snp.927; pānujja Snp.256.
  3. (abs.)
    1. the doing up, preparing Ja.v.400 Ja.vi.270 (of a building: the construction)
    2. the doing performance of, as pāṇâtipātassa k˚ and ak˚ (“commission and omission”); Dhp-a.i.214; means of action Ja.iii.92.
    3. ttg. the instrumental case (with or without ˚vacana) Pv-a.33; Vv-a.25, Vv-a.53, Vv-a.162, Vv-a.174. -atthe in the sense of, with the meaning of the instrumental case Ja.iii.98; Ja.v.444; Pv-a.35; Vv-a.304; Dhs-a.48; Kacc.157–Kacc.4. (-˚) state, condition; in noun-abstract function ˚ttaṃ (cp. kamma I.2) as nānā˚ (= nānattaṃ) difference MN.ii.128; SN.iv.294; Bdhd 94; kasi˚ ploughing Pv-a.66 kattabba˚ (= kattabbattaṃ) “what is to be done, i.e. duty Pv-a.30; pūjā˚ veneration Pv-a.30. sakkāra reverence, devotion Snp-a.284.

Note: in massu˚ and kamma˚ some grammarians have tried to derive k˚ from a root kṛ; to hurt, cut, torture (see Morris J.P.T.S. 1893, 15), which is however quite unnecessary (see kamma 3 Ab, kataii 1.) Karaṇa here stands for kamma, as clearly indicated by semantic grounds as well as by Ja.vi.270 where it explains kappita-kesa-massu, and Ja.v.309 & Dhp-a.i.253 where massukamma takes the place of ˚karaṇa, and Ja.iii.314, where it is represented by massu-kutti (C.: massukiriya). Cp. also DN-a.i.137 a˚ Negative in all meanings of the positive, i.e. the non-performing Ja.i.131; Ja.v.222; Ne.81; Pv-a.59; Dhs-a.127; non-undertaking (of business) Ja.i.229; noncommission MN.i.93; abstaining from Dhs.299.

  • -uttariya (nt.) angry rejoinder, vehement defence Dhp-a.i.44.

fr. kṛ; cp. Vedic karaṇa