Dhātu Dhātu (f.) [Sk. dhātu to dadhāti, Idg. *dhē, cp. Gr. τίθημι, ἀνά-θημα, Sk. dhāman, dhāṭr (=Lat. conditor); Goth. gadēds; Ohg. tāt, tuom (in meaning -˚=dhātu, cp. E. serf-dom "condition of . . .") tuon=E. to do; & with k-suffix Lat. facio, Gr. (ἔ)θηκ(α), Sk. dhāka; see also dhamma] element. Closely related to dhamma in meaning B 1b, only implying a closer relation to physical substance. As to its gen. connotation cp. Dhs. trsl. p. 198. — 1. a primary element, of which the usual set comprises the four paṭhavī, āpo, tejo, vāyo (earth, water, fire, wind), otherwise termed cattāro mahābhūtā(ni): D i.215; ii.294; iii.228; S i.15; ii.169 sq., 224; iv.175, 195; A ii.165; iii.243; Vbh 14, 72; Nett 73. See discussed at Cpd. 254 sq. — A defn of dhātu is to be found at Vism 485. — Singly or in other combns paṭhavī˚ S ii.174; tejo˚ S i.144; D iii.227; the four plus ākāsa S iii.227, plus viññāna S ii.248; iii.231; see below 2 b. — 2. (a) natural condition, property, disposition; factor, item, principle, form. In this meaning in var. combns & applications, esp. closely related to khandha. Thus mentioned with khandha & āyatana (sensory element & element of sense-perception) as bodily or physical element, factor (see khandha B 1 d & cp. Nd2 under dhātu) Th 2, 472. As such (physical substratum) it constitutes one of the lokā or forms of being (khandha˚ dhātu˚ āyatana˚ Nd2 550). Freq. also in combn kāma-dhātu, rūpa˚ arūpa˚ "the elements or properties of k. etc." as preceding & conditioning bhava in the respective category (Nd2 s. v.). See under d. — As "set of conditions or state of being (-˚)" in the foll.: loka˚ a world, of which 10 are usually mentioned (equalling 10,000: PvA 138) S i.26; v.424; Pv ii.961; Vbh 336; PvA 138; KS ii.101, n. 1; — nibbāna˚ the state of N. S v.8; A ii.120; iv.202; J i.55; It 38 (dve: see under Nibbāna); Miln 312. Also in the foll. connections: amata˚ It 62; bhū˚ the verbal root bhū DA i.229; ṭhapitāya dhātuyā "while the bodily element, i. e. vitality lasts" Miln 125; vaṇṇa˚ form, beauty S i.131; Pv i.31. In these cases it is so far weakened in meaning, that it simply corresponds to E. abstr. suffix -hood or -ity (cp. ˚hood=origin. "form": see ketu), so perhaps in Nibbāna˚=Nibbāna-dom. Cp. dhātuka. — (b) elements in sense-consciousness: referring to the 6 ajjhattikāni & 6 bāhirāni āyatanāni S ii.140 sq. Of these sep. sota˚ D i.79; iii.38; Vbh 334; dibbasota˚ S ii.121, 212; v.265, 304; A i.255; iii.17, 280; v.199; cakkhu˚ Vbh 71 sq.; mano˚ Vbh 175, 182, 301; mano-viññāṇa˚ Vbh 87, 89, 175, 182 sq. — (c) various: aneka˚ A i.22; iii.325; v.33; akusala˚ Vbh 363; avijjā˚ S ii.132; ābhā˚ S ii.150; ārambha˚ S v.66, 104 sq.; A i.4; ii.338; ṭhiti˚ S ii.175; iii.231; A iii.338; dhamma˚ S ii.56; nekkhamma˚ S ii.151; A iii.447; nissāraṇiyā dhātuyo (5) D iii.239; A iii.245, 290. See further S i.134, 196; ii.153, 248 (aniccā); iii.231 (nirodha); iv.67; A i.176; ii.164; iv.385; Dhs 58, 67, 121; Nett 57, 64 sq.; ThA 20, 49, 285, — (d) Different sets and enumerations: as 3 under kāma˚, rūpa˚, arūpa A i.223; iii.447; Ps i.137; Vbh 86, 363, 404 sq.; under rūpa˚, arūpa˚, nirodha˚ It 45. — as 6 (pathavī etc.+ākāsa˚ & viññāṇa˚): D iii.247; A i.175 sq.; M iii.31, 62, 240; Ps i.136; Vbh 82 sq. — as 7 (ābhā subha etc.): S ii.150. — 18: Ps i.101, 137; ii.230, Dhs 1333; Vbh 87 sq., 401 sq.; Vism 484 sq. — 3. a humour or affection of the body DA i.253 (dhātusamatā). — 4. the remains of the body after cremation PvA 76; a relic VvA 165 (sarīra˚, bodily relic); Dāvs v.3 (dasana˚ the toothrelic). — abl. dhātuso according to one's nature S ii.154 sq. (sattā sattehi saddhiŋ saŋsandanti etc.); It 70 (id.); S iii.65.
    -kathā N. of 3rd book of the Abhidhamma Vism 96. -kucchi womb Miln 176; -kusala skilled in the elements M iii.62; ˚kusalatā proficiency in the (18) elements D iii.212; Dhs 1333; -ghara "house for a relic," a dagoba SnA 194. -cetiya a shrine over a relic DhA iii.29; -nānatta diversity of specific experience D iii.289; S ii.143; iv.113 sq., 284; -vibhāga distribution of relics VvA 297; PvA 212.