masculine & neuter
- rain, shower Ja.iv.284; Ja.vi.486 (khaṇika sudden rain); Mil.307; Mhvs.21, Mhvs.31; Dhp-a.iii.163 (pokkhara˚ portentous); Snp-a.224 (mahā˚ deluge of rain); Pv-a.55 (vāta˚ wind & rain)
■ fig. shower, downpour fall MN.i.130 = Vin.ii.25 (kahāpaṇa˚); Dhp-a.ii.83 (kusuma˚)
■ Esp. the rainy season, lasting roughly from June to October (Āsāḷha-Kattika), often called “Lent,” though the term does not strictly correspond Usually in pl. vassā (AN.iv.138), also termed vassā-ratta “time of rains” (Ja.iv.74; Ja.v.38). Cp. BSk. varṣā, e.g. Divy.401, Divy.509
■ Keeping Lent (i.e. spending the rainy season) is expressed by vassaṃ vasati Vin.iii.10; Mhvs.16, Mhvs.8; or by vassa-vāsaṃ (vass’ āvāsaṃ) vasati (see below) vassaṃ upeti SN.v.152, vassaṃ upagacchati SN.v.152; Pv-a.42. One who has kept Lent or finished the residence of the rains is a vuttha-vassa Ja.i.82; Mhvs.17, Mhvs.1; or vassaṃ vuttha Vin.iii.11; SN.i.199; SN.v.405; Pv-a.43. Cp BSk. varṣ’ oṣita Divy.92, Divy.489
■ Vassa-residence is vassa-vāsa (see below)
■ vassaṃ vasāpeti (Caus.) to induce someone to spend the rainy season Pv-a.20- anto-vassaṃ during Lent; cp. antovass’ eka-divasaṃ one day during Lent Mhvs.18, Mhvs.2; antara-vassaṃ id SN.iv.63. - (nt.) a year AN.iv.252 (mānusakāni paññāsa vassāni); Snp.289, Snp.446, Snp.1073. satta˚; (adj.) seven years old Mhvs.5, Mhvs.61; satta-aṭṭha˚ 7 or 8 years old Pv-a.67
■ See cpd. -sata. - semen virile, virility see compounds -kamma & ˚vara.
-agga shelter from the rain, a shed (agga = agāra Ja.i.123; Dhp-a.iii.105 = Vv-a.75. -āvāsa vassa-residence AN.iii.67. -āvāsika belonging to the spending of the rainy season, said of food (bhatta) given for that purpose Ja.vi.71; Dhp-a.i.129 (as one of the 4 kinds: salāka˚ pakkhika˚, navacanda˚, vass’-āvāsika˚), Dhp-a.i.298; Dhp-a.iv.129 (˚lābha a gift for the r. s.). -upagamana entering on the vassa-residence Pv-a.42. <