Macchariya & Macchera (nt.) [cp. Epic Sk. mātsarya] avarice, stinginess, selfishness, envy; one of the principal evil passions & the maịn cause of rebirth in the Petaloka. -- 1. macchariya: A i.95, 299; iii.272; Dh iii.44 (issā˚), 289; Sn 863 (˚yutta), 928; Pug 19, 23; Vbh 357, 389, 391. -- Five sorts of selfishness are mentioned: āvāsa˚, kula˚, lābha˚, vaṇṇa˚, dhamma˚ D iii.234; Nd1 118, 227; A iv.456; Dhs 1122 (cp. Dhs tsrl.2 p. 276); Vism 683; DhsA 373, 374. Selfishness is one of the evil conditions which have to be renounced as habits of mind by force of intelligence A v.40, 209; Miln 289; PvA 87, 124. -- 2.macchera A i.105 (˚mala), 281; Dh 242; It 18; Nd1 260; Sdhp 313, 510. At A ii.58 and elsewhere the state called vigata -- mala -- macchera "with the stain of avarice vanished," is freq. mentioned as a feature of the blameless life and a preparation for Arahantship. -- Note. The (etym.) expln of macchariya at VbhA 513 is rather interesting: "idaŋ acchariyaŋ mayhaŋ eva hotu, mā aññassa acchariyaŋ hotū ti pavattattā macchariyan ti vuccati" (from the Purāṇas? ).