Khaṇa¹

1. (m.) a (short), moment, wink of time; in phrase khaṇen’ eva “in no time” Pv-a.38 Pv-a.117; Sdhp.584 (etc.). Sdhp.584; khaṇo ve mā upaccagā “let not the slightest time be wasted Snp.333 = Dhp.315; cf. Thig.5 (cp. khaṇâtīta); n’ atthi so kh˚ vā layo vā muhutto vā yaṃ (nadī) āramati “there is no moment, no inkling, no particle of time that the river stops flowing” AN.iv.137 (as simile of eternal flow of happening, of unbroken continuity of change); Vism.238 (jīvita˚), Vism.473; (khaṇa-vasena uppād’ ādi-khaṇa-ttaya, viz. uppāda, ṭhiti, bhanga, cp. p. Vism.431) Ja.iv.128; aṭṭha-kkhaṇa-vinimmutto kh˚ paramadullabho: one opportunity out of eight, very difficult to be obtained Sdhp.4, Sdhp.16; Sdhp.45, Sdhp.46.
2. moment as coincidence of two events: “at the same moment,” esp. in phrase taṃ khaṇaṃ yeva “all at once,” simultaneously with which syn. ṭhānaso Ja.i.167, Ja.i.253; Ja.iii.276, Pv-a.19; Pv-a.27, Pv-a.35; tasmiṃ khaṇe Ja.ii.154; Pv-a.67; Sdhp.17.
3. the moment as something expected or appointed (cp καιρός), therefore the right moment, or the proper time. So with ref. to birth, rebirth, fruit of action attainment of Arahantship, presence on earth of a Buddha, etc., in compounds: cuti-kkhaṇo Bdhd 106; paṭisandhi˚ Pts.ii.72 sq.; Bdhd 59, 77, 78; uppatti˚ Vb.411 sq.; sotāpattimagga˚ Pts.ii.3; phala˚ Pts.i.26 Bdhd 80; nikanti˚ Pts.ii.72 sq.; upacāra˚ Bdhd 94 citta˚ id. 38, 95
   ■ khaṇe khaṇe from time to time Dhp.239 (= okāse okāse Dhp-a.iii.340, but cp. Comp. 161, n. 5) Buddhuppāda˚, Th ii.A, 12. akkhaṇa see sep. Also akkhaṇavedhin. -akkhaṇe at the wrong time inopportune Pv.iv.1#40 (= akāle). On kh. laya, muhutta cp. Points of Contr. 296, n. 5.

• -ātīta having missed the opportunity Snp.333 = Dhp.315 (= Dhp-a.iii.489);
• -ññū knowing, realizing the opportunity Snp.325 (cp. Snp-a.333).
• -paccuppanna arisen at the moment or momentarily Vism.431 (one of the 3 kinds of paccuppanna: kh˚., santati˚, addhā˚)
• -paritta small as a moment Vism.238.

Derivation unknown. It has been suggested that khaṇa and the Sk. kshaṇa are derived from īkshaṇa (seeing) by process of contraction. This seems very forced; and both words are, in all probability, other than the word from which this hypothesis would derive them.

Khaṇa²

digging Ja.ii.296. Cp. atikhaṇa.

fr. khaṇ