Paritta¹

adjective small, little, inferior, insignificant limited, of no account, trifling Vin.i.270; DN.i.45; MN.iii.148 (˚ābha of limited splendour, opp. appamāṇ’ ābha); SN.ii.98; SN.iv.160 (opp. adhimatta); AN.iv.241 AN.v.63; Iti.71; Snp.61, Snp.390 (˚pañña of inferior wisdom, cp Cnd.415), Snp.1097 (id.); Ja.i.221; Dhs.181, Dhs.584, Dhs.1018, Dhs.1034 (cp. Dhs trsl.265, Dhs trsl.269); DN-a.i.119; Kp-a.133 (˚dīpā the 2,000 inferior islands), Kp-a.176 (500 do.); Pv-a.198; Sdhp.251, Sdhp.261. Synonyms: appaka, omaka, lāmaka, dukkha Cnd.414; catukka Cnd.415 (opp. mahā); appaka Pv-a.48, Pv-a.60; appama taka Pv-a.262; ittara Pv-a.60; oma Snp-a.347; oraka Snp-a.489; lāmaka Snp-a.347.

BSk. parītta, pari + pp. of dā in short form *tta, like ātta for ādatta. The development of meaning however causes difficulties, paridatta meaning given up, transmitted, cp. Divy.388, whereas P. paritta means trifling. The BSk. form parītta (e.g. Divy.204 Divy.498, Divy.504; Avs.i.329; Avs.ii.137) may be a re-translation of P. paritta, which may correspond to Sk, prarikta, pp of pra + ric, meaning “that which is exceeded,” i.e. left (over or behind)

Paritta²

neuter & Parittā (f.) protection, safeguard; (protective charm, palliative, amulet Vin.ii.110 (atta˚ f. personal protection), Vin.iv.305 (gutt’ atthāya ˚ṃ pariyāpuṇāti); AN.ii.73 (rakkhā + parittā); Ja.i.200 (manto + parittaṃ vaḍḍhiṃ), Ja.i.396 (paccekabuddhehi ˚ṃ kārāpeti makes them find a safeguard through the P.); Ja.iv.31 (osadhaṃ vā ˚ṃ vā); Mil.150 (f. & nt.)
■ Var. parittās in the way of Suttantas are mentioned at Vism.414 (Khandha˚ Dhajagga˚: SN.i.218 sq.; Āṭānāṭiya˚: DN.iii.195 sq. Mora˚: Ja.ii.33). Cf. Dialogues iii.185.

• -vālikā sand worn on the head as an amulet Ja.i.396 Ja.i.399.
• -suttaka a thread worn round the head as a charm Ja.i.396, Ja.i.399.

fr. pari + trā, cp. tāṇa, tāyati & also parittāna