neuter life, vitality, duration of life, longevity DN.iii.68, DN.iii.69, DN.iii.73, DN.iii.77; SN.iii.143 (usmā ca); SN.iv.294; AN.i.155; AN.ii.63, AN.ii.66 (addh˚); AN.iii.47, AN.iv.76, AN.iv.139; Snp.694, Snp.1019; Iti.89; Ja.i.197 (dīgh˚); Vv.55#5 (cp. Vv-a.247 with its definition of divine life as comprising 30 600 000 years); Vism.229 (length of man’s āyu = 100 years); Dhs.19, Dhs.82, Dhs.295, Dhs.644, Dhs.716; Sdhp.234, Sdhp.239, Sdhp.258
■ Long or divine life, dibbaṃ āyu is one of the 10 attributes of ādhipateyya or majesty (see ṭhāna) thus at Vin.i.294; DN.iii.146; SN.iv.275 sq.; AN.i.115; AN.iii.33; AN.iv.242, AN.iv.396; Pv.ii.9#59 (= jīvitaṃ Pv-a.136).
- -ūhā see āyūhā.
- -kappa duration of life Mil.141; Dhp-a.i.250.
- -khaya decay of life (cp. jīvita-kkhaya) DN.i.17 (cp. DN-a.i.110); DN-a.iii.29.
- -pamāṇa span or measure of life time DN.ii.3; AN.i.213, AN.i.267; AN.ii.126 sq.; AN.iv.138 AN.iv.252 sq., AN.iv.261; AN.v.172; Pp.16; Vb.422 sq.; Snp-a.476
- -pariyanta end of life Iti.99; Vism.422.
- -saṅkhaya exhaustion of life or lifetime Dpvs.v.102.
- -saṅkhāra (usually pl. ˚ā) constituent of life, conditions or properties resulting in life, vital principle DN.ii.106; MN.i.295 sq.; SN.ii.266; AN.iv.311 sq.; Ud.64; Ja.iv.215; Mil.285; Vism.292; Dhp-a.i.129; Pv-a.210. Cp. BSk. āyuḥ-saṃskāra Divy.203.
Vedic āyus; Av. āyu, gradation form of same root as Gr. αἰών “aeon”, αἰέν always; Lat. aevum, Goth aiws. Ohg. ēwa, io always; Ger. ewig eternal; Ags. āē eternity, ā always (cp. ever and aye)