jhāna

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀛𑀸𑀦 (Brahmi script)
• झान (Devanagari script)
• ঝান (Bengali script)
• ඣාන (Sinhalese script)
• ဈာန or ၛာန or ꧢႃၼ (Burmese script)
• ฌาน or ฌานะ (Thai script)
• ᨫᩣᨶ (Tai Tham script)
• ຌານ or ຌານະ (Lao script)
• ឈាន (Khmer script)
• 𑄏𑄂𑄚 (Chakma script)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Sanskrit ध्यै (dhyai)

Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna)

Pali jhāna

Inherited from Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna). Cognate with Prakrit 𑀛𑀸𑀡 (jhāṇa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʑʱɑː.n̪ɐ/, [ˈd͡ʑʱɑː.nɐ]

Noun

jhāna n

1. (Buddhism) dhyana, meditation, a state of collected, full-body awareness
2. contemplation

Declension

Declension table of "jhāna" (neuter)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	jhānaṃ	jhānāni
Accusative (second)	jhānaṃ	jhānāni
Instrumental (third)	jhānena	jhānehi or jhānebhi
Dative (fourth)	jhānassa or jhānāya or jhānatthaṃ	jhānānaṃ
Ablative (fifth)	jhānasmā or jhānamhā or jhānā	jhānehi or jhānebhi
Genitive (sixth)	jhānassa	jhānānaṃ
Locative (seventh)	jhānasmiṃ or jhānamhi or jhāne	jhānesu
Vocative (calling)	jhāna	jhānāni

Descendants

• → Khmer: ឈាន (chiən)
• → Lao: ຊານ (sān)
• → Burmese: ဈာန် (jhan)
• → Northern Thai: ᨫᩣ᩠ᨶ (saan⁴)
• → Thai: ฌาน (chaan)

References

• Pali Text Society (1921–1925) “jhāna”, in Pali-English Dictionary‎, London: Chipstead, page 286
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “dhyāna”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 395