Main Entry:

bo·dhi·satt·va

Variant(s):

or bod·dhi·satt·va \ˌbō-di-ˈsət-və, -ˈsät-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Sanskrit bodhisattva one whose essence is enlightenment, from bodhi enlightenment + sattva being — more at bid

Date:

1828

: a being that compassionately refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others and is worshipped as a deity in Mahayana Buddhism