- 1. In an ethical sense, it means: ”repugnance”, grudge, resentment, anger, and is a synonym of vya^pa^da, ”ill-will” (s. ni^varana) and dosa, ”hate” (s. múla). It is one of the proclivities (anusaya, q.v.).
2.”(Sense-) reaction”. Applied to five-sense cognition, p. occurs in the following contexts:
(a) as patigha-san~n~a^, ”perception of sense-reaction”, said to be absent in the immaterial absorptions (s. jha^na 5). Alternative renderings: resistance-perception, reflex-perception;
(b) as patigha-samphassa, ”(mental) impression caused by 5fold sensorial reaction” (D. 15); s. phassa;
(c) as sappatigha-rúpa, ”reacting corporeality”, and appatigha, ”not reacting”, which is an Abhidhammic classification of corporeality, occurring in Dhs. 659, 1050. Sappatigha are called the physical sense-organs as reacting (or responding) to sense stimuli; and also the physical sense-objects as impinging (or making an impact) on the sense-organs. All other corporeality is appatigha, non-reacting and non-impinging. These 2 terms have been variously rendered as resistant and not, responding and not, with and without impact.