1. obstacle, impediment, a burden which causes delay hindrance, delay Dhp-a.i.18; Dhp-a.ii.91 (kathā˚). ˚ṃ karoti to delay, to tarry Ja.iv.145; ˚ṃ akatvā without delay Ja.i.260; Ja.vi.392
   ■ ati˚ too great a delay Ja.i.64; Ja.ii.92
2. illusion, obsession, hindrance to spiritual progress MN.i.65; SN.i.100; SN.iv.52, SN.iv.71; AN.ii.161 sq.; AN.iii.393 sq. Snp.530 (= taṇhā-diṭṭhi-mānabheda-p. Snp-a.431; and generally in Commentaries so resolved, without verbal analysis); Ud.77 (as f. papañcā); Thag.519, Thag.902, Thag.989 (cp. Brethren 344, 345 & J.R.A.S. 1906, 246 sq.; Neumann trsl^s “Sonderheit,” see Lieder p. 210, 211; Mittlere Sammlung i.119 in trsl. of MN.i.65 nippapañca) Dhp.195, Dhp.254 (˚âbhiratā pajā, nippapañcā Tathāgatā = taṇhādisu p˚ esu abhiratā Dhp-a.iii.378); Ja.i.9; Pv.iv.1#34 (= taṇh’-ādi-p. Pv-a.230); Ne.37, Ne.38; Snp-a.495 (gihi)
   ■ nippapañca (q.v.) without obsession.
3. diffuseness, copiousness Snp-a.40.

• -saṅkhā sign or characteristic of obsession Snp.874 (cp. Snp-a.553; = taṇhā˚ diṭṭhi˚ and māna˚ Mnd.280), Snp.916 (= avijjādayo kilesā mūlaṃ Snp-a.562)
• -saññā (˚sankhā) idea of obsession, idée fixe, illusion DN.ii.277 (cp. Dial ii.312); MN.i.109, MN.i.112, MN.i.271, MN.i.383; SN.iv.71.

in its P. meaning uncertain whether identical with Sk. prapañca (pra + pañc to spread out; meaning “expansion, diffuseness, manifoldedness”; cp. papañceti & papañca 3) more likely, as suggested by etym & meaning of Lat. im-ped-iment-um, connected with; pada, thus perhaps originally “pa-pad-ya,” i.e. what is in front of (i.e. in the way of) the feet (as an obstacle)