Rukkha [Vedic vṛkṣa. See Geiger, P.Gr. § 13, with note. Pischel, Prk. Gr. § 320 puts rukkha to Sk. rukṣa (shining which as Pischel, following Roth. says has also the meaning "tree" in Ṛgveda). The Prk. form is rukkha. Cp. Wackernagel, Altind. Gr. 1, § 184 b. We find a byform rakkha at J iii.144. Cp.Brethren, pp. 185, 416, where the Bn MS. has rukkha kathā the meaning being rakkha˚] a tree. In the rukkha -- mūlik' anga (see below) Bdhgh at Vism 74 gives a list of trees which are not to be selected for the practice of "living at the root of a tree." These are sīmantarika -- rukkha, cetiya˚, niyyāsa˚, phala˚, vagguli˚, susira˚, vihāra -- majjhe ṭhita˚, or a tree standing right on the border, a sacred tree, a resinous tree, a fruit t., a tree on which bats live, a hollow tree, a tree growing in the middle of a monastery. The only one which is to be chosen is a tree "vihāra -- paccante ṭhita," or one standing on the outskirt of the Vihāra. He then gives further advice as to the condition of the tree. -- Various kinds of trees are given in the defn of r. at Vism 183, viz. assattha, nigrodha, kacchaka, kapitthaka; ucca, nīca, khuddaka, mahanto; kāḷa, seta. -- A very complete list of trees mentioned in the Saŋyutta Nikāya is to be found in the Index to that Nikāya (vol. vi. p. 84, 85). On rukkha in similes see J.P.T.S. 1907, pp. 128 -- 130. -- See also the foll. refs.: A i.137; ii.109, 207; iii.19, 200, 360; iv99, 336; v.4 sq., 314 sq.; Sn 603, 712; J i.35 (nāga˚); Vism 688 (in simile: mahārukkhe yāva kapp' âvasānā bījaparamparāya rukkha -- paveṇiŋ santāyamāne ṭhite); VbhA 165=Vism 555 (rukkha phalita); VbhA 196 (in compn: jātassa avassaŋ jarā -- maraṇaŋ, uppannassa rukkhassa patanaŋ viya), 334 sq. (as garu -- bhaṇḍa); SnA 5 ("pathavi -- ras' ādim iva rukkhe": with same simile as at Vism 688, with reading kappâvasānaŋ and santānente); DhA iii.207 (amba˚); VvA 43 (rāja˚), 198 (amba˚); DhA iv.120 (dīpa˚); PvA 43.

 -- antara the inside of a tree PvA 63. -- koṭṭaka ( -- sakuṇa) the wood -- pecker J iii.327 (=java sakuṇa). -- gahana tree -- thicket or entanglement A i.154 (so for ˚gahaṇa). -- devatā a tree spirit, dryad, a yakkha inhabiting a tree (rukkhe adhivatthā d. Vin iv.34; J ii.385; kakudhe adhivatthā d. Vin i.28) J i.168, 322; ii.405, 438 sq. (eraṇḍa˚), 445; iii.23; iv.308 (vanajeṭṭhaka -- rukkhe nibbatta -- devatā); DhA ii.16; PvA 5 (in a Nigrodha tree), 43 (in the Vindhya forest). <-> They live in a Nigrodha tree at the entrance of the village (J i.169), where they receive offerings at the foot of the tree (cp. iv.474), and occasionally one threatens them with discontinuance of the offerings if they do not fulfil one's request. The trees are their vimānas (J i.328, 442; iv.154), occasionally they live in hollow trees (J i.405; iii.343) or in tree tops (J i.423). They have to rely on the food given to them (ibid.); for which they help the people (J iii.24; v.511). They assume various forms when they appear to the people (J i.423; ii.357, 439; iii.23); they also have children (Vin iv.34; J i.442). -- paveṇi lineage of the tree Vism 688. -- pāṇikā a wooden spoon Vism 124 (opp. to pāsāṇa˚). -- mūla the foot of a tree (taken as a dwelling by the ascetics for meditation: D i.71, where several such lonely places are recommended, as arañña, r -- m., pabbata, kandara, etc. -- DA i.209 specifies as "yaŋ kiñci sanda -- cchāyaŋ vivittaŋ rukkha -- mūlaŋ"); A ii.38; iv.139, 392; S i.199 (˚gahana); It 102; Sn 708, 958; Nd1 466; Pug 68; PvA 100 (v. l. sukkha -- nadī), 137 (Gaṇḍamba˚, with ref. to the Buddha). -- ˚gata one who undertakes living at the foot of a tree (as an ascetic) A iii.353; v.109 sq., 207, 323 sq.; Pug 68. -- ˚senāsana having one's bed & seat at the foot of a tree for meditative practices as a recluse Vin i.58 (as one of the 4 nissayas: piṇḍiy' ālopa -- bhojana, paŋsukūla -- cīvara, r. -- m. s., pūti -- mutta bhesajja), 96 (id.); A iv.231. -- mūlika (a) one who lives at the foot of a tree, an open air recluse Mi.282; iii.41; A iii.219; J iv.8 (āraññaka, paṇṇasālaŋ akatvā r., abbhokāsika); (b) belonging to the practice of a recluse living under a tree "tree rootman's practice" (Vism trsln 84); as ˚anga one of the (13) dhutanga -- practices; i. e. practices for a scrupulous way of living Vism 59, 74, 75 (mentioned between the ārannik' anga & the abbhokāsik'- anga). -- mūlikatta the practice of living (alone) under a tree M iii.41 (mentioned with paŋsukūlikatta & piṇḍapātikatta); A iii.109 (id.). -- sunakha "tree dog," a cert. animal J vi.538 (C. in expln of naḷa -- sannibha "reed -- coloured"). -- susira a hollow tree PvA 62.