Welcome to Pali Q&A Forum, where you can ask questions and receive answers about the Pali language and the Digital Pali Reader.

34 questions

49 answers

55 comments

17 users

Help with a pali/sanskrit word

+1 vote

Is there sanskrit/pali word for "forever" ?

Avatar Image asked Sep 12, 2011 by Ted (8 points)   1
Migrated from Ask.Sirimangalo 3 months ago by yuttadhammo

1 Answer

+2 votes

The CEPD has

forever: sadātanāya

but I've never heard that word before, nor can I find it in the tipitaka or commentaries.

sadā itself means "at all times" or "for all time" or simply "always". sabbadā is the same word.

nirantara means "always", but more in the sense of "without (nir) intermission (antara)".

I think the best word is sassatisama, which is an adverb explained as "sassatīhi samāna", meaning "in the way of the eternal". Found in the sentence:

"so nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo sassatisamaṃ tatheva ṭhassati."

"It is permanent, constant, eternal, not subject to change; it stays that way forever (sassatisamaṃ)."

(DN 1 brahmajālasuttaṃ)

The Sanskrit equivalent is apparently "śaśvatīḥ samāḥ".

Avatar Image answered Sep 12, 2011 by Yuttadhammo (301 points)   2 15