parama

adjective highest, most excellent, superior, best paraphrased by agga seṭṭha visiṭṭha at Cnd.502 A Mnd.84, Mnd.102 (the latter reading viseṭṭha for visiṭṭha); by uttama at Dhp-a.iii.237; Vv-a.78
■ DN.i.124 (ettaka˚) MN.ii.120 (˚nipacca); SN.i.166; SN.ii.277; SN.v.230; AN.v.64 (˚diṭṭha-dhamma-nibbāna); Snp.138 (yasaṃ paramaṃ patto), Snp.296 (˚ā mittā), Snp.788 (suddhaṃ ˚ṃ arogaṃ), Snp.1071 (saññāvimokhe ˚e vimutto); Dhp.184 (nibbānaṃ ˚ṃ vadanti Buddhā). Dhp.203, Dhp.243; Vv.16#1 (˚alankata paramaṃ ativiya visesato Vv-a.78) Pv.ii.9#10 (˚iddhi) Pp.15, Pp.16, Pp.66; Snp-a.453 (˚issara); Pv-a.12 (˚nipacca), Pv-a.15 (˚duggandha), Pv-a.46
■ At the end of a cpd. (-˚) “at the outmost, at the highest, at most; as a minimum at least” Vin.iv.263 (dvangula-pabba˚); esp. freq. in phrase sattakkhattu˚; one who will be reborn seven times at the outmost, i.e. at the end of the 7 rebirthinterval SN.ii.185 (sa˚); SN.v.205; AN.i.233; AN.iv.381; AN.v.120; Iti.18; Kv.469. See pāramī & pāramitā.

-attha [cp. class. Sk. paramārtha] the highest good ideal; truth in the ultimate sense, philosophical truth (cp. Kvu trsl. 180; J.P.T.S. 1914, 129 sq.; Cpd. 6, 81) Arahantship Snp.68 (= vuccati Amataṃ Nibbānaṃ etc Cnd.409), Snp.219 (˚dassin); Cnd.26; Mil.19, Mil.31; -dīpanī Exposition of the Highest Truth, Name of the Commentary on Th, Vv and Pv; mentioned e.g. at Pv-a.71 -jotikā id., Name of the C. on Kp and Sn, mentioned e.g. at Kp-a.11
■ As ˚-, in instr. and abl. used adverbially in meaning of “in the highest sense, absolutely κα ̓τ ἐςοξήν, primarily, ideally, in an absolute sense, like ˚pāramī Bv.i.77 ˚visuddhi AN.v.64; ˚saññita Thig.210; ˚suñña Pts.ii.184; ˚suddhi Snp-a.528; abl. paramatthato Mil.28; Vv-a.24 (manusso), Vv-a.30 (bhikkhu), Vv-a.72 (jīvitindriyaṃ); Pv-a.146 (pabbajito, corresponding to anavasesato), Pv-a.253 (na koci kiñci hanati = not at all) instr. paramatthena Mil.71 (vedagū), Mil.268 (sattûpaladdhi). -gati the highest or best course of life or future exsitence Vv.35#12 (= anupādisesa-nibbāna Vv-a.164).

Vedic parama; superl. formation of para, lit. “farthest,” cp. similarly, although fr. diff. base Lat. prīmus