adjective

1. good, virtuous, pious Snp.376, Snp.393; Ja.i.1; Mhvs.37, Mhvs.119; Pv-a.116, Pv-a.132 asādhu bad, wicked Dhp.163, Dhp.223; Dhp-a.iii.313.
2. good, profitable, proficient, meritorious Dhp.35, Dhp.206 (= sundara, bhaddaka Dhp-a.iii.271); DN.i.88; Pv.ii.9#7 nt. adv. well, thoroughly Dhp.67; Ja.i.1; Mhvs.36, Mhvs.97 Mhvs.37, Mhvs.73. Very frequent as interjection, denoting
   1. a request: (adhortative, with imper: sādhu gaccha please go! Mil.18; gacchatha Vv-a.305), to be translated with “come on, welcome, please,” or similar adverbs. Thus e.g. at Pv.iv.1#40 (= āyācane Pv-a.232); Ja.i.92; Pv-a.6 Pv-a.35, Pv-a.272; Vv-a.69
   2. assent & approval: in replies to a question “alright, yes” or similarly; usually with the verbs (in ger.) paṭisuṇitvā, vatvā, sampaṭicchitvā etc Thus e.g. at Ja.v.297; Vin.i.56; Mil.7; Dhp-a.iii.13; Vv-a.149; DN-a.i.171; Snp-a.176 (= sampahaṃsane); Pv-a.55, Pv-a.78 and passim.

• -kamyatā desire for proficiency Vb-a.477.
• -kāra saying “well,” approval, cheering, applause Ja.i.223; Mil.13, Mil.16, Mil.18; Vv-a.132; Dhp-a.i.390; Dhp-a.iii.385.
• -kīḷana a festive play, a sacred festivity Mhvs.3, Mhvs.11; sādhukīḷita the same Mhvs.20, Mhvs.36; ˚-divasa Vin.iii.285; sādhu-kīḷā Ja.iii.434; Ja.v.127; sādhu-kīḷikā Ja.iii.433.
• -jīvin leading a virtuous life Iti.71.
• -phala having wholesome fruits Ja.i.272 (read sādu˚).
• -rūpa good, respectable Dhp.262
• -sammata highly honoured DN.i.48; SN.iv.398; Snp.p.90 sq.; Mil.4, Mil.21; DN-a.i.143.
• -sīliya good character Ja.ii.137.

Vedic sādhu, fr. sādh