fun pali lesson: vocabulary: eat, drink, be merry

This phrase happens more than 50 times in the suttas:

(primarily as part of 'sampajano' definition), such as SN 47.2

asite pīte khāyite sāyite	eating, drinking, chewing his food, and tasting;
Sam-pajāna-kārī hoti,	Lucid-discerning- (he) -exercises ****.

You might as well learn all four of those words by heart. They happen frequently enough. 

Mnemonic for 'asita'

Here's one way to help you never forget that pali word.

The prefix 'a' is often a negation (example, nicca = permanent, a-nicca = im-permanent).

'sit' is 75% of the English word 'shit'.

Eating is just 'taking a shit' (defecating, excreting feces) in reverse. (inverse-shitting, a-site).

English word fun digression: the first image, contains a cat dropping some 's-cat' (wild animal feces).

Interestingly, what people eat often looks like what comes out the other end.

1. Eaten

asita: eaten. (pp. of asnāti)

Asita1 [Sk. aśita, pp. of *asati, Sk. aśnāti] having eaten, eating; (nt.) that which is eaten or enjoyed, food M i.57 A iii.30, 32 (˚pīta -- khāyita etc.); PvA 25 (id.); J vi.555 ˚(āsana having enjoyed one's food, satisfied). Cp. āsita1. 

2. opposite of attached - independent or unattached

sita: 1. white; 2. depending on; attached. (nt.), a smile. (adj.)

Sita1 (adj.) [pp. of śā; Sk. śita] sharp Dāvs i.32. 

'Eaten' in a metaphorical sense, or 'in-dependent (from)'? 

DN 20

Saṭṭhete devanikāyā,	These sixty hosts of gods
sabbe nānattavaṇṇino;	shone in all different colors.
Nāmanvayena āgacchuṃ,	They came in order of their names,
ye caññe sadisā saha.	these and others likewise, thinking:
‘Pavuṭṭhajātimakhilaṃ,	‘We shall see those rid of rebirth, kind,
oghatiṇṇamanāsavaṃ;	the undefiled ones who have crossed the flood,
Dakkhemoghataraṃ nāgaṃ,	and the dragon who brought them across,
candaṃva asitātigaṃ’.	who like the Moon has [eaten]-overcome darkness.’

AN 4.13

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri sammappadhānānīti.	These are the four right efforts.
Sammappadhānā māradheyyābhibhūtā,	By rightly striving, they’ve crushed Māra’s dominion;
Te asitā jātimaraṇabhayassa pāragū;	unattached, they’ve [eaten] transcended the danger of birth and death.
Te tusitā jetvā māraṃ savāhiniṃ te anejā,	Contented and still, they’ve defeated Māra and his mount;
Sabbaṃ namucibalaṃ upātivattā te sukhitā”ti.	now they’ve gone beyond all Namuci’s forces, they’re happy.”

A-sita as 'in-dependent' or 'un-attached'

MN 56

Samuggatassa jhāyissa,	He has risen up, he practices jhāna,
Ananugatantarassa suddhassa;	not following inner thoughts, he is pure,
Asitassa hitassa,	independent, and fearless;
Pavivittassa aggappattassa;	secluded, he has reached the peak,
Tiṇṇassa tārayantassa,	crossed over, he helps others across:
Bhagavato tassa sāvakohamasmi.	he is the Buddha, and I am his disciple.

MN 93

‘Suto nu bhavataṃ—	‘Have you heard of
asito devalo isī’ti?	the hermit Devala the Dark?’

MN 96 - scythe?

Tatridaṃ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā suddassa sandhanaṃ paññapenti asitabyābhaṅgiṃ;	The wealth they prescribe for a worker is the scythe and flail.
asitabyābhaṅgiñca pana suddo sandhanaṃ atimaññamāno akiccakārī hoti gopova adinnaṃ ādiyamānoti.	A worker who scorns his own wealth, the scythe and flail, fails in his duty like a guard who steals.

MN 116 - names of past buddhas

Satthā pavattā sarabhaṅgo lomahaṃso,	Satthar, Pavattar, Sarabhaṅga, Lomahaṁsa,
Uccaṅgamāyo asito anāsavo;	Uccaṅgamāya, Asita, Anāsava,
Manomayo mānacchido ca bandhumā,	Manomaya, and Bandhumant the cutter of conceit,
Tadādhimutto vimalo ca ketumā.	and Tadādhimutta the immaculate and resplendent.

SN 5.6 - unattached

Sabbattha mutto asito,	everywhere freed, and unattached,
sabbaṃ passati cakkhumā;	the all-seeing seer.