The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

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 s"mantarika -- rukkha, cetiya˚, niyy!sa˚, phala˚, vagguli˚, susira˚,
vih!ra -- majjhe &hita˚, 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 "vih!ra -- paccante &hita," or one standing on the outskirt of the Vih!ra. 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, n"ca, khuddaka, mahanto; k!)a, seta. -- A very
complete list of trees mentioned in the Sa'yutta Nik!ya is to be found in the Index to that Nik!ya (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; iv 99, 336; v.4 sq., 314 sq.; Sn 603, 712; J i.35 (n!ga˚); Vism 688 (in simile:
mah!rukkhe y!va kapp' âvas!n! b"japarampar!ya rukkha -- pave*i' sant!yam!ne &hite); VbhA 165=Vism
555 (rukkha phalita); VbhA 196 (in compn: j!tassa avassa' jar! -- mara*a', uppannassa rukkhassa patana'
viya), 334 sq. (as garu -- bha*.a); SnA 5 ("pathavi -- ras' !dim iva rukkhe": with same simile as at Vism
688, with reading kappâvas!na' and sant!nente); DhA iii.207 (amba˚); VvA 43 (r!ja˚), 198 (amba˚); DhA
iv.120 (d"pa˚); PvA 43. -- antara the inside of a tree PvA 63. -- ko&&aka ( -- saku*a) the wood -- pecker J
iii.327 (=java saku*a). -- gahana tree -- thicket or entanglement A i.154 (so for ˚gaha*a). -- devat! a tree
spirit, dryad, a yakkha inhabiting a tree (rukkhe adhivatth! d. Vin iv.34; J ii.385; kakudhe adhivatth! d. Vin
i.28) J i.168, 322; ii.405, 438 sq. (era*.a˚), 445; iii.23; iv.308 (vanaje&&haka -- rukkhe nibbatta -- devat!);
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 vim!nas (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). -- pave*i lineage of the tree Vism 688. -- p!*ik! a wooden spoon
Vism 124 (opp. to p!s!*a˚). -- m(la the foot of a tree (taken as a dwelling
-- 572 --
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 "ya' kiñci sanda -- cch!ya' vivitta' rukkha -- m(la'");
A ii.38; iv.139, 392; S i.199 (˚gahana); It 102; Sn 708, 958; Nd1 466; Pug 68; PvA 100 (v. l. sukkha --
nad"), 137 (Ga*.amba˚, 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. -- ˚sen!sana 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: pi*.iy' !lopa -- bhojana,
pa'suk(la -- c"vara, r. -- m. s., p(ti -- mutta bhesajja), 96 (id.); A iv.231. -- m(lika (a) one who lives at the
foot of a tree, an open air recluse M i.282; iii.41; A iii.219; J iv.8 (!raññaka, pa**as!la' akatv! r.,
abbhok!sika); (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 !rannik' anga & the abbhok!sik'- anga). -- m(likatta the practice of
living (alone) under a tree M iii.41 (mentioned with pa'suk(likatta & pi*.ap!tikatta); A iii.109 (id.). --
sunakha "tree dog," a cert. animal J vi.538 (C. in expln of na)a -- sannibha "reed -- coloured"). -- susira a
hollow tree PvA 62.
Ruca
Ruca ( -- rukkha) & Ruc! (f.) [fr. ruc] N. of a plant, or tree, alias "mukkhaka" (read mokkhaka) "principal"
J i.441, 443 (gloss mangala -- rukkha).
Rucaka
Rucaka (nt.) [cp. Sk. rucaka a golden ornament] (gold) sand Vv 351; VvA 160 (= suva**a -- v!lik!).
Ruci