avadana
|a-va-da-na|
/əvəˈdɑːnə/
moral/Buddhist tale of meritorious deeds
Etymology
'avadana' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'avadāna', derived from the root 'vad' meaning 'to speak, tell', with the nominalizing suffix '-ana', giving the sense 'a telling' or 'account.'
'avadāna' appears in Sanskrit and related Prakrit/Pali texts (e.g. avadāna literature and avadāna-kathā), and entered English usage via 19th-century Sanskrit and Buddhist studies scholarship as a loanword retained in its original form.
Initially it simply meant 'an account' or 'narration' in Sanskrit; within Buddhist usage it specialized to mean 'a narrative of meritorious deeds' and in modern English is used mainly for the Buddhist genre or individual moral tales.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in Buddhist literature, a narrative or tale recounting a meritorious deed or past-life action that illustrates karmic results (a moral or exemplary story).
The monk recounted an avadana about a laywoman whose generous deed led to great merit.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a genre or type of Buddhist text (often collections) composed of such moral stories illustrating karmic law and virtuous deeds.
Scholars study the Avadana collections to understand popular ethical teachings in early Buddhism.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/30 10:29