to love, to be fat: “mejjati mettā siniyhatī ti attho” love, amity, sympathy, friendliness, active interest in others. There are var. def^ns & explains of mettā: the stereotype “metti mettāyanā mettāyitattaṃ mettā cetovimutti” Vb.86 = Vb.272; occurring as “metti mettāyanā mettāyitattaṃ anudā anudāyana anudāyitattaṃ hitesitā anukampā abyāpādo… kusalamūlaṃ” at Mnd.488 & Dhs.1056 (where T. mettaṃ for metti, but see Dhs trsl.² 253). By Bdhgh at Snp-a.128 explained in distinction fr. karuṇā (which is “ahita-dukkh-âpanayakāmatā”) as “hita-sukh-ûpanaya-kāmatā,” i.e. desire of bringing welfare & good to one’s fellow-men. Cp defⁿ of mettā at Vism.317
■ Snp.73 (see Cnd.p.232) Snp.967; DN.iii.247 sq., DN.iii.279; Vism.111, Vism.321 sq.; Snp-a.54; Pv-a.66 (khanti, m., anudaya); Sdhp.484, Sdhp.487. Phrases occurring frequently: mettā ceto-vimutti DN.i.251; SN.ii.265; AN.iv.150; Iti.20; Vb.86 and passim mettā-sahagatena cetasā with a heart full of love DN.i.250; DN.ii.186; DN.iii.49 sq., DN.iii.78, DN.iii.223 sq.; SN.v.115; AN.i.183 AN.ii.129; AN.iv.390; AN.v.299, AN.v.344; explained in detail at Vism.308 mettaṃ karoti (loc.) to be friendly or sympathize with Mhvs.12, Mhvs.23
■ In compounds usually mettā˚, but shortened to metta˚; in metta- cittaṃ kindly thought, a heart full of love DN.i.167; DN.iii.237; Snp.507; Pv.ii.13#17; Ja.vi.71 and metta- jhāna love-meditation, as explⁿ of m
■ citta at Snp-a.417; Pv-a.167.

• -aṃsa (mettaṃsa) sympathetic, showing love towards Iti.22 (variant reading ˚āsa); Ja.iv.71 (= metta-koṭṭhāsa mettacitta C.).
• -kammaṭṭhāna the k. of sympathy Dhp-a.iv.108.
• -bhāvanā cultivation or development of friendliness (towards all living beings) Ja.i.176; Ja.iii.45; Mil.199; Vism.295.
• -vihārin abiding in kindliness Dhp.368; Dhp-a.iv.108; Ne.25; Vism.324; Pv-a.230.

abstr. fr. mitra = mitta, cp. Vedic maitraṃ. According to Asl.192 (cp. Expos. 258) derived fr. mid