dhātu (7891)

dhātu
Entry 7891, Page 282, Col. 1

(DAtu, DAtu)
dhātu¦, m. or f. (nt. forms occur rarely; in Skt. recorded only as m.; in Pali app. usually, acc. to PTSD only, f., but acc. to Childers m. and f.); in BHS most commonly m.; f. examples, ākāśadhātuṃ yaḥ sarvām SP 253.13, pṛthivīdhātuṃ ca yaḥ sarvāṃ 254.1; yattikā pṛthivīdhātu Mv i.126.12; svakāye tejodhātūye (instr.) 357.16--17; see also lokadhātu, often f. as well as m.; nt., tāni dhātūni Mv ii.93.20 (vs); in Mv iii.65.10 ff. adj. forms of all three genders, catvāro (dhātavaḥ), repeatedly, 10--12; catvāri, 11; tiṣṭhamānāvo (f. n. pl.) and bhajyamā- nīyo, 11; (= Pali id. in all mgs. except 6; in some included here, viz. 1 and 2, more or less similarly in Skt.; some [Page282-b+ 71] Pali mgs. etymologically explained in Vism. 485.2 ff.;) the most fundamental meaning is perhaps element, cf. Lévi, Sūtrāl. i.18 note 1, ‘l’idée centrale reste toujours celle de élément primordial, original, principe’; Tib. regularly ren- ders khams, except in cpd. dharma-dh° where it renders dbyiṅs; once (below, 6) it uses rluṅ; conscious recognition of several different mgs. in a four-pāda vs: sattvadhātu paripācayiṣyase, lokadhātu pariśodhayiṣyasi, jñānadhātum utthāpayiṣyase (meter!), āśayasya tava dhātu tādṛśaḥ Gv 484.15--16, you will completely mature the (or, a) mass of creatures, you will completely purify the world-system(s), you will raise up on high the sphere (state of mind? see below) of knowledge; such is the natural character of your disposition; (1) physical element, constituent of the material world, of which, like Pali, BHS normally recognizes (a) four, earth, water, fire, and air or wind, pṛthivī, ap, tejas, vāyu; listed Mvy 1838--41 pṛthivī-dhātuḥ etc. but given the caption catvāri mahābhūtāni 1837; and cf. Śikṣ 250.14 under (b) below; in a cliché, na…karmāṇi kṛtāny upa- citāni vāhye pṛthivīdhātau vipacyante nābdhātau na tejodhātau na vāyudhātāv api tūpātteṣv (em., but prob- able), eva skandhadhātvāyataneṣu vipacyante Divy 54.5 ff.; 131.9 ff.; 141.9 ff.; (with slight alterations 191.16;) 311.18 ff.; 504.19 ff.; 581.29 ff.; 584.16 ff.; Av i.74.4 ff., (the effects of) deeds done do not mature in the four external physical elements, but in the skandha, dhātu (sense 4, q.v.), and āyatana (q.v.); iha dhātu-bhūta (so divide) caturo… viśoṣitā me bhavasamudrā LV 373.13(--14; vs), here I have dried up the four ‘oceans’ of existence (there are four oceans in normal Hindu geography, surrounding the earth) which consist of (-bhūta) the (four) elements; catvāro… dhātavaḥ Mv iii.65.10; caturo dhātava LV 284.5 (vs; Foucaux renders directions, claiming support of Tib., but Tib. khams, the regular rendering of dhātu); abdhātuṃ pratyāpibanti SP 122.5 (pratically simply water); tejo- dhātu, see this separately; pṛthivīdhātu Mv i.126.12; SP 254.1; but also (b) again as in Pali, not five as in Skt. but six, the above four plus ākāśa (as in Skt.; note ākāśa- dhātu alone SP 253.13; 342.11) and also vijñāna (Pali viññāṇa), listed Dharmas 58 as ṣaḍ dhātavaḥ; important is Śikṣ 244.11 ff. (similarly Bcṭ 326.24 ff.): ṣaḍdhātur ayaṃ …puruṣaḥ…katame ṣaṭ? tad yathā: pṛthivīdhātur abdh° tejodh° vāyudh° ākāśadh° vijñānadh° ca…ṣaḍ imāni…sparśāyatanāni (see āyatana 5)…cakṣuḥ sparśāyatanaṃ rūpāṇāṃ darśanāya, (and so) śrotraṃ… ghrāṇaṃ…jihvā…kāya(ḥ) sparśāyatanaṃ spraṣṭavyā- nāṃ sparśanāya, manaḥ spa° dharmāṇāṃ vijñānāya… (245.1 ff.) adhyātmikaḥ pṛthivīdhātuḥ, which is whatever is hard in the body, as hair, nails, teeth, etc.; (245.4) bāhyaḥ pṛthivīdhātuḥ is whatever is hard in the outside world. Similarly with abdhātu 246.16 ff.; tejodhātu 248.2 ff.; vāyudhātu 248.11--249.3; ākāśadhātu 249.3 ff., in the body of man, is such things as the mouth, throat, etc. (empty space, we would say); in the outside world, what is hollow and empty (as a hole in the ground); vijñānadhātu 250.5 ff., (line 7) ṣaḍindriyādhipateyā (see ādhipateya) ṣaḍviṣayā- rambaṇā (read °baṇa-, in accord with line 5 cakṣurindriyā- dhipateyā rūpārambaṇaprativijñaptiḥ; see ārambaṇa 3) viṣayavijñaptir ayam ucyate vijñānadhātuḥ (this is only adhyātmika; there is no external vijñāna); in 250.14 ff. it is made clear that the sparśāyatanāni, i.e. the sensory organs or powers (244.15 ff.), are constituted by equili- brtum or tranquillity (prasāda 2, q.v.) of the four physical elements (a, above, here called mahābhūtāni, as in Mvy 1837): katamac cakṣurāyatanam? yac caturṇāṃ mahā- bhūtānāṃ prasādaḥ, tad yathā, pṛthivīdhātor abdhātos tejodhātor vāyudhātor yāvat, etc.; these four only make up the several senses; ākāśa, emptiness, cannot be involved, and vijñāna (six-fold) is what results from the operation of each sense on its appropriate objects; (2) element in the body exclusively and specifically (aside from 1 above [Page283-a+ 71] which applies to the body but also to all the external world), pretty much as in Skt. (BR s.v. dhātu 3), but I have found no numerical listing of them in BHS (in Skt. various numbers occur, rarely 3 = the 3 doṣa, wind, gall, phlegm; but regularly 7, sometimes 5 or 10), main con- stituent of the body: in Suv 179.5 six (ṣaḍdhātu-kauśalya, see below, end, note*); abhiṣyaṇṇā vātātapā saṃvṛttā Mv iii.143.16, cf. abhiṣyaṇṇehi dhātūhi 144.6; 153.11; 154.8, see s.vv. abhiṣyaṇṇa and vātātapa, excessive or over- exuberant bodily humors (a cause of disease; Pali uses abhi(s)- sanna of the dosa, Skt. doṣa, [three] bodily humors); dhātu- vaiṣamyāc ca glānaḥ Divy 191.28, sick from an upset con- dition of the humors; tvaṃ vaidya (n. sg.; so divide) dhātu- kuśalas LV 184.21 (vs), thou, a physician skilled in the humors or bodily elements; kaccid dhātavaḥ pratikurvanti SP 429.4, I hope your bodily humors (or elements) are acting properly?; (3) the 18 dhātu, psycho-physical constituent elements of the personality in relation to the outside world (Pali id.), are the 12 āyatana (i.e. the 6 senses plus 6 sense-objects, see s.v. 5) plus the 6 corresponding sensory perceptions, vijñāna; listed Mvy 2040--58, cakṣur-dhātuḥ, rūpa-dhātuḥ, cakṣur-vijñāna-dhātuḥ, and so with śrotra (śabda), ghrāṇa (gandha), jihvā (rasa), kāya (spraṣṭavya), mano (dharma); same in abbreviated form (with sparśa for spraṣṭavya) Dharmas 25; aṣṭādaśa dhātavaś LV 372.7; see also varṇa-dhātu; (4) constituent element of the mind, ‘heart’, or character, and so by extension (psychic) char- acter, nature, natural disposition; as element of the citta, Av ii.140.13 ff., śamatha-vipaśyanā-paribhāvitam…(14) āryaśrāvakasya cittaṃ dhātuśo (cf. Pali dhātuso in quite similar sense, SN ii.154.19 ff., referring to dhātu 153.23 ff.; note avijjā-dhātu 153.29) vimucyate. tatra sthavira katame dhātavaḥ? yaś ca…(141.1) prahāṇa-dhātur yaś ca virāga-dhātur yaś ca nirodha-dhātuḥ, kasya nu…pra- hāṇāt (2) prahāṇadhātur ity ucyate?…(3) sarvasaṃskā- rāṇāṃ…prahāṇāt prahāṇadhātur ity ucyate, and so identically with virāga and nirodha; in this sense I under- stand nānādhātu-jñāna-balam Mvy 123 (one of the 10 balāni of a Buddha), and (also one of the 10 balāni) nānādhātukaṃ (-ka Bhvr.; = °dhātuṃ) lokaṃ vidanti Mv i.159.14; nānādhātum imaṃ lokam anuvartanti paṇ- ḍitāḥ (= Tathāgatāḥ) Mv i.90.17; Pali similarly has anekadhātu and nānādhātu as eps. of loka, and knowledge of them as one of the 10 balāni, e.g. MN i.70.9--10, where comm. ii.29.20 ff. is uncertain, cakkhudhātu-ādīhi (see 3 above) kāmadhātu-ādīhi (see 5 below) vā dhātūhi bahu- dhātuṃ…lokaṃ ti khandhāyatanadhātu-lokaṃ (see be- low); but DN ii.282.25 ff. seems to prove that the mg. is different, anekadhātu nānādhātu kho…loko…, yaṃ yad eva sattā dhātuṃ abhinivisanti, taṃ tad eva thāmasā …abhinivissa voharanti: idam eva saccaṃ moghaṃ aññaṃ ti; tasmā na sabbe…ekantavādā ekantasīlā ekantachandā ekanta-ajjhosānā ti (here, dhātu is surely something like nature, disposition, as comm. says, ajjhāsaya, iii.737.18); similarly, nānādhimuktānāṃ sattvānāṃ nānā- dhātv-āśayānām āśayaṃ viditvā SP 41.3; 71.8, knowing the disposition of creatures who vary in interests and who vary in character and disposition; CPD s.v. anekadhātu (as ep. of loka) is not quite clear, saying with many elements, or natural conditions (or dispositions); confirmation of this interpretation may be found in a cliché, (bhagavāṃs teṣāṃ, or the like)…āśayānuśayaṃ (see anuśaya) dhā- tuṃ prakṛtiṃ ca jñātvā (evidently disposition, character, or state of mind) Divy 46.23; 47.9--10; 48.12--13; 49.11--12; (in 209.12 cpd. āśayānuśayadhātuprakṛtiṃ ca, in view of ca prob. to be read °dhātuṃ;) 462.9--10; 463.18--19, etc.; Av i.64.12--13; also āśayasya tava dhātu tādṛśaḥ Gv 484.16, above, and possibly jñāna-dhātu in the same line, but here sphere (5, below) may be meant; here also, it seems, must be included dhātu, state of mind, psychic characteristic, when used parallel (or in composition) with [Page283-b+ 71] skandha and āyatana (where, if sense 3 were intended, āyatana would be included in dhātu so that tautology would result), as: te skandhā tāni dhātūni tāni āyatanāni ca, ātmānaṃ ca adhikṛtya bhagavān tam (mss. etam; Senart's em. leaves the meter still bad) arthaṃ vyākare (v.l. °ret) Mv ii.93.20--21 (vss); na skandha-āyatana- dhātu (read as one dvandva cpd., as suggested by Tib. phuṅ po skye mched khams rnams, the last syllable being the plural suffix, put after the third noun only, saṅs rgyas yin mi smra) vademi Buddhaṃ LV 420.17 (vs), I do not say that the skandha, sense-organs and their objects, and states of mind are Buddha; skandhadhātvāyataneṣu Divy 54.5 ff. etc. (see 1a, above), roughly, in the mental (not gross-physical) constitution; in LV 177.5 (vs) read, skandhāyatanāni dhātavaḥ, with citation of the line Śikṣ 240.5, as required by meter and supported by Tib. (Lefm. skandhadhātvāyatanāni dhātavaḥ); (5) sphere, region, world, state of existence (Pali id.); so in lokadhātu, q.v.; sometimes dhātu alone appears to be short for loka-dhātu, world(-region): ratnāvatī nāma dhātv aika (read ekā?) yatrāsau bhagavān vaset Mmk 139.1 (vs, bad meter); evam aśeṣata dharmata dhātuṃ sarv’ adhimucyami pūrṇa jinebhiḥ Bhad 3, thus completely according to what is right I devote myself to the world(-region) that is all full of Buddhas (wrongly Leumann); three states of existence, kāma-dh°, rūpa-dh° (qq.v.), and ārūpya- (q.v.) dh° (all in Pali); nirvāṇa-dhātu (Pali nibbāna°, usually with adj. anupā- disesa), the sphere or state, condition, of nirvāṇa, usually with adj. anupadhiśeṣa, SP 21.9; 411.5; Kv 18.19 (text arūpaviśeṣe, read anupadhiśeṣe, nirvāṇadhātau), or niru- padhiśeṣa, Divy 22.9; 242.16; 394.8; asadṛśa nirvāṇa- dhātu-saukhyam Sukh 9.1 (vs); see also dharma-dhātu, sphere of religion; jñānadhātum utthāpayiṣyase Gv 484.16 (above), you will raise up on high the sphere (? possibly state of mind, mg. 4) of knowledge; (6) from this last, world, sphere, develops the meaning mass, abundance, large quantity (not recorded in Pali nor recognized by Lévi, Sūtrāl. i.18 note 1), chiefly in comp. with sattva: tvayā Mañjuśrīḥ kiyān sattvadhātur vinītaḥ SP 261.8, how large a quantity of creatures have you, M., trained (religiously)? (so both Burnouf and Kern; no other interpretation seems possible); dūrapraṇaṣṭaṃ sattvadhātuṃ viditvā SP 187.1 (Burnouf, la réunion des êtres; Kern creatures, adopting a v.l. sattvān which is not recorded in either ed.); (yathā- bhinimantritasya) sattvadhātoḥ paripākakālam LV 180.4 (Tib. khams = dhātoḥ); vyavasthāpitaḥ sattvadhātuḥ LV 351.9 (see s.v. dharmadhātu; note that Tib. renders dhātu by dbyiṅs after dharma-, but by khams after sattva-); na tv eva śakyaṃ gaṇayituṃ sarvasattvadhātū (v.l. °tuṃ) daśasu diśāsu…Mv ii.295.11; yāvanti buddhakṣetrasmiṃ sattvadhātu (so mss., evidently pl.; Senart °tū) acintiyā 352.12; sattvadhātavaḥ parimokṣitāḥ Kv 13.24; sattva- dhātu- (in comp.) 15.5; °tu paripācayiṣyase Gv 484.15 (vs, above); na ca sattvadhātuṃ parityajanti Gv 471.23; rarely with any other word than sattva, śiśire hi yathā himadhātu mahān (a great mass of snow) tṛṇagulmavanau- ṣadhi-ojaharo (one cpd. word) LV 175.3 (vs), cited Śikṣ 206.1; here Foucaux translates wind, claiming support of Tib. rluṅ, which does indeed primarily mean wind, but is also used of the bodily humors, which is one of the mgs. of dhātu (2, above); Foucaux's mg. could only be right if we em. to vāyu (or vāta), but Śikṣ confirms dhātu, which cannot possibly mean wind in the ordinary natural sense; it seems that Tib. misunderstood the passage and used a word which is a synonym of khams (= dhātu) in one of its senses, but does not fit here; (7) (orig. elemental bodily substance, 2 above; hence) relics, bodily remains (after death; = Pali id.), sg. or pl.: (buddhānāṃ) dhā- tustūpāḥ SP 7.3; 340.12, relic-stūpas; dhātu SP 99.1 (sg.); 324.1 (pl.); jina-dhātuṣu 341.2; (yaś ca parinirvṛtasya, v.l. adds tathāgatasya,) sarṣapaphalamātram api dhātum [Page284-a+ 71] (so read) satkareyā Mv ii.362.15; lokanāthasya dhātuṣu Mv ii.367.3; dhātu-vibhāgaṃ kṛtvā Divy 90.9, division, distribution of the relics; śarīra-dhātūn Divy 368.27, °tuṃ 380.19; dhātu-pratyaṃśaṃ dattvā 380.20; dhātavaḥ 381.2; dhātu, sg., Suv 13.6 ff.; dhātu- (in comp.) RP 6.9; dhātū- nām 57.3; see also dhātu-vigraha and (dhātv-) avaro- paṇa. -- [Note*: on the medical use of dhātu, see No- bel, JAOS Supplement 11 to Vol. 71 No. 3, 1951; on Suv 179.5 (above; 2) esp. p. 8.]

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