Dear D.C.
Bhagavant is from the Sanskrit. bhaga + vat
Bhaga means "good fortune, happiness, welfare, prosperity, majesty, distinction, excellence, etc" (Monier Williams dictionary), and vat is a suffix meaning "possessing" so bhagavat means "possessing fortune, prosperous, happy, glorious, illustrious, venerable, holy, etc" (again from MW).
The translation "Blessed One" is an interpretation based on this meaning.
As Gabriel says, there are many different ways to translate it.
Best wishes,
Bryan
From: "Buddhayatana buddhayatana@... [Pali]" <Pali@yahoogroups.com>
To: Pali_yahoogroups.com <Pali@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 8, 2014 2:58 PM
Subject: [Pali] Bhagavant
Hello Dr Wijeratna,
a more appropriate translation for "Bhagavant", both literally and in
term of context, is
"the Blissful One" ("le Bienheureux" in French)
Hope this helps
Mettâ
Dr Gabriel Jîvasattha Bittar
On 2014.11.08 21:03, Pali@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> There is 1 message in this issue.
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> Topics in this digest:
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> 1. Bhagavant: the Blessed One
> From: Dc Wijeratna
>
>
> Message
> __________________________________________________________
> 1. Bhagavant: the Blessed One
> Posted by: "Dc Wijeratna" dcwijeratna@...
> Date: Fri Nov 7, 2014 5:31 pm ((PST))
>
> PTS dictionary gives Bhagavant:fortunate, illustrious, sublime, as Ep. and
> title "Lord." Usual trs. Blessed One, Exalted One.
>
>
> The translation bhagavant as Blessed One cannot be understood.
> Blessed is associated with God; see the definition of blessed in the Oxford
> Dictionaries.
>
>
> I shall be grateful, if someone could clarify this.
>
>
>
>
>
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