Samuttava

Samuttava is a term found in a limited set of Pali and related Buddhist textual materials. It is not widely attested in major dictionaries or grammars, and its exact sense varies among manuscripts, making a single authoritative definition elusive.

Etymology and form: The form is usually reconstructed from Pali or Sanskrit sources as a compound involving sam- and a second element such as uttava or uttama, but there is no consensus on its precise derivation or meaning due to the sparse evidence. Some manuscripts treat samuttava as an adjective meaning “worthy of merit” or “deserving respect,” while others appear to use it as a title or epithet in ritual or scholastic contexts.

Usage and attestations: The term is rare and appears in a few late or marginal glosses and inscriptions rather than in canonical Theravada or Mahayana texts. When it occurs, it tends to function as a descriptor applied to a person, quality, or act that is regarded with esteem, though the exact nuance is uncertain.

In scholarship: Because of its limited attestation, samuttava has not been the subject of extensive lexical treatment. References to it are usually incidental to broader studies of Pali morphology or Sanskrit influence on Southeast Asian inscriptions.

See also: Pali language, Sanskrit compounds, Buddhist epigraphy, Theravada literature.