Phassa¹

contact, touch (as sense or sense-impression, for which usually phoṭṭhabbaṃ). It is the fundamental fact in a sense impression and consists of a combination of the sense, the object, and perception, as explained at MN.i.111: tiṇṇaṃ (i.e. cakkhu, rūpā, cakkhu-viññāṇa) sangati phasso and gives rise to feeling: phassa-paccayā vedanā. (See paṭicca-samuppāda & for explⁿ Vism.567; Vb-a.178 sq.)
■ Cp. DN.i.42 sq.; DN.iii.228, DN.iii.272, DN.iii.276; Vism.463 (phusatī ti phasso); Snp.737, Snp.778 (as fundamental of attachment, cp. Snp-a.517); Ja.v.441 (rājā dibba-phassena puṭṭho touched by the divine touch, i.e. fascinated by her beauty; puṭṭho = phutto); Vb-a.177 sq. (in detail), Vb-a.193, Vb-a.265; Pv-a.86 (dup˚ of bad touch, bad to the touch i.e. rough, unpleasant); poet. for trouble Thag.783 See on phassa: Dhs. trsl. 5 & introd. (lv.) lxiii.; Cpd. 12, 14, 94.

• -āyatana organ of contact (6, referring to the several senses) Pv-a.52.
• -āhāra “touch-food,” acquisition by touch, nutriment of contact, one of the 3 āhāras, viz phass˚, mano-sañcetanā˚ (Name of representative cogitation) and viññāṇ˚ (of intellection) Dhs.71–Dhs.73; one of the 4 kinds of āhāra, or “food,” with ref. to the 3 vedanās Vism.341.
• -kāyā (6) groups of touch or contact vîz. cakkhu-samphasso, sota˚, ghāna˚, kāya˚ mano˚ DN.iii.243.
• -sampanna endowed with (lovely touch, soft, beautiful to feel Ja.v.441 (cp. phassita).

cp. Ved. sparśa, of spṛś: see phusati

Phassa²

adjective to be felt, esp. as a pleasing sensation; pleasant, beautiful Ja.iv.450 (gandhehi ph.).

grd. fr. phusati, corresp. to Sk. spṛśya