kāraṇā

1. adj. (f. ī) (-˚) doing, making, causing, producing; as cakkhu˚ ñāṇa˚ (leading to clear knowledge) SN.iv.331; SN.v.97; Iti.83; and acakkhu etc. SN.v.97; nāthā ˚ā dhammā AN.v.23 (cp. AN.v.89) and thera˚ AN.ii.22; dubbaṇṇa˚ SN.v.217; see also DN.i.245 MN.i.15; SN.v.96, SN.v.115; AN.iv.94; AN.v.268; Mil.289.
2. (nt.) (-˚) the making, producing of; the doing, performance of (= kamma), as bali˚ offering of food = bali kamma) Pv-a.81; gabbha˚ Snp.927; pānujja Snp.256.
3. (abs.)
   1. the doing up, preparing Ja.v.400 Ja.vi.270 (of a building: the construction)
   2. the doing performance of, as pāṇâtipātassa k˚ and ak˚ (“commission and omission”); Dhp-a.i.214; means of action Ja.iii.92.
   3. ttg. the instrumental case (with or without ˚vacana) Pv-a.33; Vv-a.25, Vv-a.53, Vv-a.162, Vv-a.174. -atthe in the sense of, with the meaning of the instrumental case Ja.iii.98; Ja.v.444; Pv-a.35; Vv-a.304; Dhs-a.48; Kacc.157–Kacc.4. (-˚) state, condition; in noun-abstract function ˚ttaṃ (cp. kamma I.2) as nānā˚ (= nānattaṃ) difference MN.ii.128; SN.iv.294; Bdhd 94; kasi˚ ploughing Pv-a.66 kattabba˚ (= kattabbattaṃ) “what is to be done, i.e. duty Pv-a.30; pūjā˚ veneration Pv-a.30. sakkāra reverence, devotion Snp-a.284.

Note: in massu˚ and kamma˚ some grammarians have tried to derive k˚ from a root kṛ; to hurt, cut, torture (see Morris J.P.T.S. 1893, 15), which is however quite unnecessary (see kamma 3 Ab, kataⁱⁱ 1.) Karaṇa here stands for kamma, as clearly indicated by semantic grounds as well as by Ja.vi.270 where it explains kappita-kesa-massu, and Ja.v.309 & Dhp-a.i.253 where massukamma takes the place of ˚karaṇa, and Ja.iii.314, where it is represented by massu-kutti (C.: massukiriya). Cp. also DN-a.i.137 a˚ Negative in all meanings of the positive, i.e. the non-performing Ja.i.131; Ja.v.222; Ne.81; Pv-a.59; Dhs-a.127; non-undertaking (of business) Ja.i.229; noncommission MN.i.93; abstaining from Dhs.299.

• -uttariya (nt.) angry rejoinder, vehement defence Dhp-a.i.44.

fr. kṛ; cp. Vedic karaṇa

neuter ,

1. 1. a deed, action, performance, esp. an act imposed or inflicted upon somebody by a higher authority (by the king as representative of justice or by kamma MN.iii.181; see kamma 11 3.A b.) as an ordeal, a feat or punishment: a labour or task in the sense of the 12 labours of Heracles or the labours of Hades. kāraṇaṃ kārāpeti “he makes somebody perform the task. Pass, kāraṇaṃ or kāraṇā karīyati. Thus as a set of five tasks or purgatory obligations under the name of pañcavidha-bandhana “the group of five” (not, as Warren trsl. p. 257 “inflict on him the torture called the fivefold pinion”), a means of punishment in Niraya (q.v. under pañca). Not primarily torture (Rh. Davids, Mil trsl. i.254, and others with wrong derivation from kṛṇtati). At Dhp-a.iii.70 these punishments are comprehended under the term dasa-dukkhakāraṇāni (the ten punishments in misery); the meaning “punishment” also at Ja.iv.87 (tantarajjukaṃ k˚ṃ katvā), whereas at Ja.vi.416 k. is directly paraphrased by “maraṇa,” as much as “killing.” Often spelt karaṇa q.v.; the spelling kāraṇā (as f.) at Mil.185 seems to be a later spelling for kāraṇaṃ. See karaṇa for further reference
      ■ Kiṃ kāraṇaṃ ajja kāressati “what task will he impose on me to-day?” AN.v.324; as pañcavidhabandhana K˚ AN.i.141, Pv-a.251, Cnd.304#iii
      ■ As adj. ˚kāraṇa in dāruṇa˚ “being obliged to go through the dreadful trial” Pv-a.221
   2. duty obligation, in kāraṇ’ âkāraṇā (pl.) duties great and small Dhp-a.i.385 Cp. also kāraṇaṃ karoti to try MN.i.444
   3. a trick (i.e. a duty imposed by a higher authority through training) Ja.ii.325 (ānañja˚); Mil.201 (ākāsa-gamana˚)
2. 1. acting, action as (material) cause: k˚-bhūta being the cause of… Pv-a.15
   2. (intellectual) cause, reason Mil.150; Dhp-a.i.389; esp. as-˚: arodana the reason for not crying Pv-a.63; asocana˚ same, ibid Pv-a.62; āgamana˚ the reason for coming (here) ibid. Pv-a.81 Pv-a.106. = pariyatti, Dhp-a.36. = attha, SA on SN.i.215, Snp-a.i.238
      ■ instr. kāraṇena by necessity, needs Pv-a.195 tena k˚ therefore ibid. Pv-a.40.
      ■ abl. kāranā by means of through, by (= hetu or nissāya) Pv-a.27; imasmā k therefore Pv-a.40; kāraṇaṭṭhā (expl. as attha-kāraṇā Cnd) for the purpose of some object or advantage Snp.75; opp. nikkāraṇā from unselfishness ibid
      ■ sakāraṇa (adj.) with good reason (of vacana) Pv-a.109.

in meaning 1 represented in later Sk. by kāraṇā f., in meaning 2 = Sk. kāraṇa nt., equivalent to prakṛti, natural form, constituent, reason, cause