TIL

Pali Dictionary

by U Kyaw Tun, et. al.

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Contents of this file: kappa | kappabindhu |

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kup

kappa

{kup~pa.}

UMK-USL p24
1. a world cycle; term or span of time from the coming into existence to its dissolution; aeon.
UKT: The English word "eon" or "aeon" simply means a very long interval of time. See AHTD. The following is my paraphrase from the text of UMK-USL and information from other sources):
There are 3 principal cycles:
anta-ra kappa   a-siṅkhyey-ya kappa , mahā kappa , 

• anta-ra kappa
-- a complete cycle in which human life-span decreases (from an infinite number (or 1000) of years to 10 years) and then increases (from 10 years to an infinite number of years). A complete cycle is made up of 4 phases or periods:
1. vivaṭṭa kappa -- formation phase: human life span increases from minimum (zero) to maximum
2. vivaṭṭa-aṭṭhāyi kappa -- rest phase at completion: human life span at maximum
3. saṁaṭṭa kappa -- dissolution phase (ending in destruction): human life span decreases to zero
4. saṁvaṭṭa-aṭṭhāyi kappa -- the rest phase at destruction: no human life

• āyu kappa -- the present period during which the human life span has a maximum of 120 years. In astrological charts (written in Myanmar on palm-leaves), it is written at the end: "may the individual live up to 120 years".

UKT: At the present, also known as bhadda kappa , the human life span is supposed to be getting shorter because we are in the downward phase of the antara kappa. As children we were taught that the human-life span has been decreasing from 1000 years to 100 years and then eventually it would decrease to 10 years. The present is the 100 year-period. The size of the humans are supposed to be getting smaller, and eventually the babies would become so small that a cradle could be put under a {dan. kywè: pin} which is a shrub about a foot high.

• a-siṅkhyey-ya kappa
-- period of time equivalent to 64 antara kappa

• mahā kappa
-- period of time spanning 4 asiṅkhyeyya kappa.

2. a period of pestilence. There are 3 kinds:
• satthanta-ra kappa -- period of war-fare
• ro-ganta-ra kappa -- period of epidemics
• dubbhikkhanda-ra kappa -- period of famine

antara -- PTS p47 gives an extensive entry. I would translate (at least for the above) as "intermediate" or "inter". Thus an anta-ra kappa is an inter-period of a-siṅkhyey-ya kappa .

kappa -- PTS p187. An extensive entry on kappa:
1. literal meaning. 1.1. (adj.) fitting, suitable, proper
2. applied meaning. 2.1. (qualitative) ordinance, precept, rule; practice, manner. 2.2. (temporal) a "fixed" time, time with reference to individual and cosmic life. There are 3 principal cycles or aeons: mahā kappa , a-siṅkhyey-ya kappa , anta-ra kappa  

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kappabindhu

{kup~pa. bein~du.}

UMK-USL p24
n. (V.) pattern of dots made in one corner of a new robe after receiving it so as to destroy its newness and make it fit to be used.

PTS p187
kappa-bindhu --  a small dot or smudge imprinted on a new robe to make it lawful (i.e. in accordance with viniya rules)
UKT: Unless there is a mark to show that the robe is not new, it is not proper for a monk ( {rahan:} or bhikkhu ) to wear. The mark, imprinted in a corner of the new robe, is nothing more than a way to get around the rule, and figuratively it has come to mean a trick.

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End of TIL file