neuter
- (lit.) root AN.ii.200; MN.i.233; Dhp-a.i.270; Dhp-a.iv.200 (opp. patti); Vism.270 (rukkha˚; = rukkha-samīpaṃ); Pv.ii.9#6 (sa˚ with the root); Pv-a.43 (rukkhassa mūle at the foot of).
- foot bottom Vin.ii.269 (patta˚); Pv-a.73 (pāda˚), Pv-a.76 (id.) rukkha˚; foot of a tree: see under rukkha for special meaning.
- (applied) ground for, reason, cause, condition defined as “hetu, nidāna, sambhava” etc. at Cnd. s.v.; Snp.14 = Snp.369 (akusalā mũlā n. pl. = ākāra or patiṭṭhā Snp-a.23); Pv.ii.3#33 (sa˚ with its cause); Duka-pa.272, Kp.297, Kp.312, Kp.320; Mil.12 (& khandha-yamaka, with ref. to the Yamaka). Very freq. in this sense as referring to the three lobha, dosa, moha as conditioning; akusala (absence of them = kusala), e.g. at DN.iii.214, DN.iii.275; AN.i.201; AN.i.203; Vb.106 sq., Vb.169, Vb.361; Yam i.1; Vism.454 cp. Cnd.517; Vb-a.382.
- origin, source, foundation root (fig.) Vin.i.231 = DN.ii.91 (dukkhassa); Vin.ii.304; Snp.916, Snp.968 (cp. Mnd.344, Mnd.490); Thag.1027 (brahmacariyassa); Dhp.247, Dhp.337. Freq. in formula (may be taken to no. 1) [pahīna] ucchinna-mūla tālâvatthukata etc. with ref. to the origin of saṃsāra, e.g. at SN.ii.62, SN.ii.88 SN.iii.10, SN.iii.27, SN.iii.161, SN.iii.193; SN.iv.253, SN.iv.292, SN.iv.376. See Cnd.p.205 s. v. pahīna, in extenso.
- beginning, base, in mūladivasa the initial day DN-a.i.311; also in phrase mūlakāraṇato right from the beginning Vv-a.132 (cp. BSk mūlaṃ kramataś ca id. Divy.491).
- “substance, foundation, i.e. worth, money, capital, price, remuneration Mil.334 (kamma˚); Dhp-a.i.270 (?); Pv-a.273 Mhvs.27, Mhvs.23. amūla unpaid Mhvs.30, Mhvs.17 (kamma labour)
■ iṇa˚; borrowed capital DN.i.71.
- -kanda eatable tuber Dhp-a.iii.130; Dhp-a.iv.78 (mūlaka˚) See also kanda.
- -kammaṭṭhāna fundamental k. or k of causes Snp-a.54.
- -ghacca radically extirpated Dhp.250,