Pāli Glossary – (A-K)

August 12, 2016; Revised May 27, 2017; February 19, 2020; May 29, 2022 (#4 added)

Tipiṭaka English” Convention

1. I have revised the Pāli words to align with the convention used by most English texts. This convention was apparently adapted by the early European scholars (Rhys Davis and others) in order to keep the length of the word short. I will use this convention in new posts and try to update old posts gradually. See the following two posts for details:

Additional Pronunciation Keys: 

.”a” is pronounced like “u” in cut;   “ā” is pronounced like “a” in father

  • “i” is pronounced like “i” in sit;   “ī” is pronounced like “ee” in bee
  • “u” is pronounced like “u” in “put”;   “ū” is pronounced like “oo” in cool
  •  “ō” is pronounced like “oe” in “Moe”;  “ē” is pronounced like “a” in pay
  •  “c” needs to be pronounced like “ch” as in “charm” or “chicago”
  • “ñ” needs to be pronounced like “gn” in “signor”

2. This glossary is in two posts because there are a total of over 400 Pāli words included now. This is the first part of the glossary; second part at “Pāli Glossary – (L-Z)“.

  • I have been able to get the audio files incorporated, and also have provided links to key posts whenever possible/needed.
  • We also have a “Popup Pāli Glossary with Pronunciation“, thanks to Mr. Seng Kiat Ng. If that GoldenDict dictionary is installed on your computer, you will be able to access this glossary from each post directly. Furthermore, it could provide translations from other online dictionaries as well.

3. Relevant posts on any of the words can be found by using the “Search” box on the top right.

Pali WordMeaning Audio
abhaya"a" +"bhaya"; doing something to stop someone's fear
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abhaya dānasaving the life of a living being
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abhijjhāstrong greed
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abhiññāsupermundane powers
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abhisaṅkhārastrong sankhara that lead to rebirths and strong vipaka
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ādīnavabad outcome: Assāda, Ādīnava, Nissarana – Introduction
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adhimokkhaarising to the top; reaching a high value
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adhivāsanathings one gets used to based on sansaric habits; part of gathi
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adinnādānastealing; taking something without permission
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adōsawithout hatred
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ajjhattainternal
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ākāsaspace (the void in between rupa)
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ākāsānañcāyatanafirst arupa brahma realm
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ākiñcaññāyatanathird arupa brahma realm
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akusalaimmoral act
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āhāranutrients (for body or mind)
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ahetukawithout good roots
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ahirikashamelessness
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akālikaremove defilements or timeless (no birth or death, i.e., Nibbana)
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alōbhawithout greed
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ālōkalight, dissociating from “this world”
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āmisamundane (belonging to 31 realms)
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amōhawithout delusion; moral mindset
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amurtafine food (drink) of devas
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Anāgāmi Non-Returner (to the human world)
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anāgatafuture
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ānāpāna7. What is Änapäna?
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ānāpānasati6. Anäpänasati Bhävanä (Introduction)
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anāriyanot Noble
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anatoppafear of doing immoral deeds
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anattanot in-control, helpless
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ānenjābhi sankhāraSankhara, Kamma, Kamma Beeja, Kamma Vipaka
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aniccainability to maintain to one’s satisfaction
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Aniccatātendency to change unexpectedly; characteristic of a rupa: Rupa (Material Form) – Table
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anidassanaCannot be seen; can also mean pure as in anidassana vinnana
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animisawithout pausing for even a moment: Animisa Locana Bodhi Poojawa – A Prelude to Acts of Gratitude
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aññamaññadepend on each other
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anantarabeing in storage until retrieval (kamma vipaka)
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anumōdanāaccept pattidana (transfer of merits or sharing of merits) with joy
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anupassanādiscard kileasa by contemplating with anicca, dukkha, anatta: see #6 of 4. What do all these Different Meditation Techniques Mean?
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anusayadefilements arising from latent cravings (asava) and kilesa
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apacāyanapaying respects to those with higher virtues: Punna Kamma – Dāna, Sīla, Bhāvanā
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aparāpariya vēdaniyakamma vipaka that can materialize at any time in future
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apāyacommon term for four lowest realms
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āpōcohesive element
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Appanā samādhialmost at jhana: What is Samadhi? – Three Kinds of Mindfulness
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appaṇītanot to liking; dislikes
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appaṭighacannot be grasped or touched
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apuññaimmoral
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apuññābhi saṅkhārahighly immoral sankhara
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Arahantnever to be born in any of the 31 realms
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ārammaṇaobject of thought
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AriyaNoble person (Sotapanna or above)
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arūpawithout rupa
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asaññawithout perception; without sanna
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āsava =āsayadeep-seated craving
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āsavakkhaya ñāṇaKnowledge of removing asava: The Way to Nibbāna – Removal of Āsavas
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āsēvanarepeated practice; associate
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asōbhanaugly or defiled (used mainly for cetasika)
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asuraone of the four apayas; beings there have large bodies and are inactive
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āssādaenjoyment
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atītapast
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attaopposite of anatta or eight
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atthaopposite of anatta; perception that one has total control
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avicione of the niraya (hell)
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avihiṃsānon-aggressive
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avinibbhōgaconsituents not separable, as in a avinibbhoga rupa kalapa
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avyāpāda = abyāpādanot angry, kind
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āyatanaan indriya becomes as ayatana: Indriya and Āyatana – Big Difference
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āyulifetime
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avijjāIgnorance of Tilakkhana
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bahiddhāexternal
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balapower
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balidistort
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bījaseed
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bhaṅgadissolution; destruction
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bhavarealm of existence
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bhāvanāmeditation, constant contemplation & use
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bhavaṅgalife continuum
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bhayafear
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BhikkhuBuddhist monk
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bojjhaṅgabodhi anga or facilitating factor for Nibbana
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brahmaa being in rupa or arupa brahma realms
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BuddhaBuddha Gotama
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cakkhueye or seeing
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cakkavāḷaplanetary system like our Solar system
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cetanāintention; but deeper: What is Intention in Kamma?
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cetasikamental factor
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chanda liking
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cittathought (pure thought)
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cittānupassanādoing anupassana via contemplating on thoughts
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citta vīthicitta come in packets of a discrete number; a single citta does not arise
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cutūpapāta ñāṇaability to see all previous births
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cutideath
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cuti cittamoment of death
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dānagiving
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dasaten
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dasakadecad; group of 10
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dassanavision; but normally used for "comprehending"
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dassanēna pahātabbaremoving (kilesa) via comprehension of Dhamma
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dēsanā or desanāverbal discourse
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dēvaa being in 6th-11th realms
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Dhamma Buddha’s teachings, phenomenon, mental object
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dhammavicaya (sambojjhaṅga)investigation of concepts like anicca
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dhammānudhamma patipadācondition for attaining Sotapanna stage: Four Conditions for Attaining Sotapanna Magga/Phala
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dhammānupassanādoing anupassana via contemplating on Dhamma
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dhātuelement
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dhyāna (same as jhāna)meditative state with rupa loka or arupa loka consciousness
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diṭṭhiview, wrong view unless specified
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diṭṭhijukamma"diṭṭhi"+"uju"+"kamma" or getting rid of wrong views on kamma:Punna Kamma – Dāna, Sīla, Bhāvanā
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dōmanassamental agony, displeasure; not bodily suffering
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dōsahatred
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dōsakkhayadösa + khaya or removal of hate
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dugati "du" + "gathi" or habits that can lead to bad rebirths
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dukhasuffering
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dukkhasuffering & it can be stopped from arising
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dvāradoor (to the external world)
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ehipassikoa quality of Dhamma, removing defilements in real time: Supreme Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha
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ekaggatāone-pointedness (of the mind)
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gandhasmell, odor
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gandabbaGandhabbaya (Manomaya Kaya)
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gaticharacter, habits
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ghānanose or smelling
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gotrabhuchange of lineage ("götra") when getting close to a jhana
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hadaya vatthuseat of mind (in the gandhabbaya)
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hēturoot cause
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hirishamefulness for doing akusala kamma
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iddhispecial powers or knowledges
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iddhipādameans to special (mental) accomplishment
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indriyaone of the six sense faculties when used without lobha, dosa, moha
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issa (irisiyā in Sinhala)jealousy
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Itthi (sthree in Sinhala)feminine
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jarāgetting old or weak
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Jaratāone of 28 rupa: Rupa (Material Form)
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jātibirth of a living being OR birth of anything
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javanathose citta with which sankhara committed or kamma vipaka generated: Javana of a Citta – The Root of Mental Power
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jhāna (same as dhyāna)meditative state with rupa loka or arupa loka consciousness
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jivhātongue (more accurately jivha indriya) OR taste
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jīvitalife: jivita indriya maintains life
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Jīvitindriyaone of the 7 universal cetasika: Cetasika (Mental Factors) OR one of the 28 rupa: Rupa (Material Form)
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kabaḷīkāraone of the 4 ahara: Āhāra (Food) in Udayavaya Ñāna
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kappa (kalpa in Sinhala)time duration of an entity: kalpa of a human is about 100 years; maha kalpa is lifetime of the universe
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kalyāna mittā (mitrā in Sinhala)Noble friend: Four Conditions for Attaining Sotapanna Magga/Phala
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kāmacchandagreed for things in kamaloka
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kāma lōkafirst 11 realms with five physical senses
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kāma rāgaattachment to sense pleasures in kamaloka
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kāmāvacarabelonging to kamaloka
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kāmesumicchācāraimmoral ways of enjoying sense pleasures:The Five Precepts – What the Buddha Meant by Them
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kammaaction, deed
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kammantaactions as in samma kammanta
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kammaṭṭhānamediation verses or procedures
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kandhaheap, pile, or aggregate
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karunācompassion in the suffering of others
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kasinameditation object in anariya jhana (eg. a colored disk)
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kāyapertaining to the body or action
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kāyānupassanādoing anupassana via contemplating on the bodily actions
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khaṇika samadhiWhat is Samadhi? – Three Kinds of Mindfulness
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khayacutting off or gradually reduce
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khaṇamoment, sub-moment
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kriyāaction, deed
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4. Anyone can download the audio files here:

Pāli Word Pronunciation – Audio Files

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