Vassa (m. & nt.) [cp. Vedic varṣa (nt.) rain. For etym. see vassati1] 1. rain, shower J iv.284; vi.486 (khaṇika sudden rain); Miln 307; Mhvs 21, 31; DhAiii.163 (pokkhara˚ portentous); SnA 224 (mahā˚ deluge of rain); PvA 55 (vāta˚ wind & rain). -- fig. shower, downpour, fall M i.130=Vin ii.25 (kahāpaṇa˚); DhA ii.83 (kusuma˚). -- Esp. the rainy season, lasting roughly from June to October (Āsāḷha -- Kattika), often called "Lent," though the term does not strictly correspond. Usually in pl. vassā (A iv.138), also termed vassā -- ratta "time of rains" (J iv.74; v.38). Cp. BSk. varṣā, e. g: Divy 401, 509. -- Keeping Lent (i. e. spending the rainy season) is expressed by vassaŋ vasati Vin iii.10; Mhvs 16, 8; or by vassa -- vāsaŋ (vass' āvāsaŋ) vasati (see below), vassaŋ upeti Sv.152, vassaŋ upagacchati S v.152; PvA 42. One who has kept Lent or finished the residence of the rains is a vuttha -- vassa J i.82; Mhvs 17, 1; or vassaŋ vuttha Vin iii.11; S i.199; v.405; PvA 43. Cp. BSk. varṣ' oṣita Divy 92, 489. -- Vassa -- residence is vassa -- vāsa (see below). -- vassaŋ vasāpeti (Caus.) to induce someone to spend the rainy season PvA 20. -- anto -- vassaŋ during Lent; cp. antovass' eka -- divasaŋ one day during Lent Mhvs 18, 2; antara -- vassaŋ id. S iv.63. -- 2. (nt.) a year A iv.252 (mānusakāni paññāsa vassāni); Sn 289, 446, 1073. satta˚ (adj.) seven years old Mhvs 5, 61; satta -- aṭṭha˚ 7 or 8 years old PvA 67. -- See cpd. ˚sata. -- 3. semen virile, virility: see cpds. ˚kamma & ˚vara.

 -- agga shelter from the rain, a shed (agga=agāra) J i.123; DhA iii.105=VvA 75. -- āvāsa vassa -- residence A iii.67. -- āvāsika belonging to the spending of the rainy season, said of food (bhatta) given for that purpose J vi.71; DhA i.129 (as one of the 4 kinds: salāka˚, pakkhika˚, navacanda˚, vass' -- āvāsika˚), 298; iv.129 (˚lābha a gift for the r. s.). -- upagamana entering on the vassa -- residence PvA 42. -- upanāyikā (f.) the approach of the rainy season, commencement of Vassa residence [BSk. varṣopanāyikā Divy 18, 489; AvŚ i.182, where Ep. of the full moon of Āsāḷha]. Two such terms for taking up the residence: purimikā & pacchimikā A i.51; i. e. the day after the full moon of Ā. or a month after that date. See upanāyika. -- vass' ûpanāyika -- divasa the first day of Lent Vism 92; DhA iv.118; ˚ûpanāyikaŋ khandhakaŋ the section of the Vinaya dealing with the entrance upon Lent (i. e. Vin i.137 sq.) Mhvs 16, 9. -- odaka rain -- water Vism 260=VbhA 243. -- kamma causing virility D i.12 (=vasso ti puriso, vosso ti paṇḍako iti; vossassa vassa -- karaṇaŋ vassa -- kammaŋ, vassassa vossa -- karaṇaŋ vossa -- kammaŋ DA i.97). -- kāla time for rain J iv.55. -- dasa (& ˚dasaka) a decade of years: see enumd at J iv.397. -- pūgāni innumerable years J vi.532, cp. Sn 1073. -- vara a eunuch J vi.502. -- valāhaka a rain cloud A iii.243 (˚devā). -- vassana shedding of rain, raining DhA ii.83. -- vāsa Vassa residence S v.326; PvA 20. -- vuṭṭhi rainfall SnA 34, cp. 224. -- sata a century Sn 589, 804; A iv.138; Pv ii.115; PvA 3, 60, 69. -- satika centenarian Miln 301.