Hi John,

Instead of 'debased' think of it as 'subdued', i.e. brought low, humbled, pulled down off its pedestal. He has subdued his body, by living in the uncomfortable forest, but the mind is still proud and thinks about what it likes.

Literally it means 'pulled down'.

Basically it's the exact same meaning you cite, but with a positive (in this context) connotation instead of a negative one.

Since nika.t.thakaayo is a bahubbiihi I would translate along the lines of, "how does a person have a subdued body but a non-subdued mind." It's not the person (puggalo) who is modified by nika.t.tha. The person has the kayo, which is further qualified by nikat.t.ha.

You're definitely right that this could be added to the PED entry. I'll be pencilling in this sense, with the example you brought up. Thanks!

best regards,

/Rett

>Dear friends,
>
>Could somebody please help me with a translation of
>the word "nika.t.tha"?
>
>This occurs in AN.4.138 (PTS: A ii 137):
>Katha~nca bhikkhave puggalo nika.t.thakaayo hoti
>anika.t.thacitto? Idha bhikkhave ekacco puggalo
>ara~n~ne vanapatthaani pantaani senaasanaani
>pa.tisevati. So tattha kaamavitakkampi vitakketi,
>vyaapaadavitakkampi vitakketi, vihi.msaavitakkampi
>vitakketi. Eva.m kho bhikkhave puggalo nika.t.thakaayo
>hoti anika.t.thacitto.
>
>And how, bhikkhus, is a person ?? by body and not ??
>by mind. Here, bhikkhus, some person resorts to
>lodgings in remote jungle wild areas in the forest,
>and there he thinks sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill
>will, and thoughts of harming. Thus, bhikkhus, is a
>person ?? by body and not ?? by mind.
>
>The PED renders "nika.t.tha" as "debased" or "brought
>low". But this is the complete opposite of what the
>sutta seems to signify.
>Is this one of those errors in the PED that
>list-members were talking about earlier? Can someone
>offer a more accurate rendering?
>
>Thanks. With metta, John