Vara¹

adjective excellent, splendid, best, noble. As attribute it either precedes or follows the noun which it characterizes, e.g. -pañña of supreme wisdom Snp.391, Snp.1128 (= agga-pañña Cnd.557); -bhatta excellent food (opp. lāmaka˚) Ja.i.123; -lañcaka excellent gift (?) (Trenckner, Mil p.424): see under lañcaka. dhamma˚; the best norm Snp.233; nagara˚; the noble city Vv.16#6 (= uttama˚, Rājagahaṃ sandhāya vuttaṃ Vv-a.82); ratana˚; the best of gems Snp.683; rāja˚; famous king Vv.32#1 (= Sakka Vv-a.134); or inserted between noun and apposition (or predicate), e.g. ākiṇṇa -vara- lakkhaṇa full of the best marks Snp.408; narī -vara- gaṇa a crowd of most lovely women Snp.301; esp. frequent in combination with predicate gata: “gone on to the best of, i.e. riding the most stately (horse or elephant), or walking on the royal (palace) etc., e.g. upari-pāsādavara -gata Pv-a.105; sindha-piṭṭhi -vara- gata Ja.i.179 hatthi-khandha vara -gata Pv-a.75, Pv-a.216, Pv-a.279
■ nt varaṃ in compar. or superl. function: better than (instr.) the best, the most excellent thing AN.iv.128 (katamaṃ nu kho varaṃ: yaṃ… yaṃ); Dhp.178 (ādhipaccena sotāpattiphalaṃ v.), Dhp.322 (varaṃ assatarā dantā… attadanto tato varaṃ).

• -aṅganā a noble or beautiful woman Mhvs.33, Mhvs.84
• -ādāyin acquiring the best SN.iv.250; AN.iii.80.
• -āroha 1 state elephant Vv.5#1 (= varo aggo seṭṭho āroho ti varāroho Vv-a.35); 2 (f.) a noble lady Ja.vi.562 (Maddī varārohā rājaputtī).

fr. vṛ; to wish; Vedic vara

Vara²

masculine & neuter wish, boon, favour Mil.110, Mil.139. Usually in phrases like varaṃ dadāti to grant a wish or a boon Ja.iv.10; Vv-a.260; Pv-a.20. varaṃ gaṇhāti to take a wish or a vow Ja.v.382; varaṃ vuṇāti (varati) id. Ja.iii.493 (varaṃ varassu, imper.); Pv.ii.9^{40, 42} Mil.227
■ varaṃ yācati to ask a favour Ja.iii.315 (varāni yācāmi).

fr.; vṛ; to wish