Raṇa
Raṇa，[Vedic raṇa，both “enjoyment，” and “battle．” The Dhtp （115） only knows of ran as a sound-base saddatthā （=Sk．ran2 to tinkle）] fight，battle； only in Th．2，360 （raṇaṁ karitvā kāmānaṁ）：see discussed below； also late at Mhvs 35，69 （Subharājaṁ raṇe hantvā）．-- 2．intoxication，desire，sin，fault．This meaning is the Buddhist development of Vedic raṇa= enjoyment．Various influences have played a part in determining the meaning & its expln in the scholastic terms of the dogmatists and exegetics．It is often expld as pāpa or rāga．The Ṭīkā on DhsA．50 （see Expos．67） gives the foll．explns （late & speculative）：（a）=reṇu，dust or mist of lust etc．； （b） fight，war （against the Paths）； （c） pain，anguish & distress．-- The trsln （Expos．67） takes raṇa as “cause of grief，” or “harm，” hence araṇa “harmless” and saraṇa “harmful” （the latter trsld as “concomitant with war” by Dhs．trsl．of Dhs．1294； and asaraṇa as opp．“not concomitant”； doubtful）．At S．I，148 （rūpe raṇaṁ disvā） it is almost syn．with raja．Bdhgh．expls this passage （see K．S．320） as “rūpamhi jāti-jarā-bhaṅga-saṅkhātaṁ dosaṁ，” trsln （K．S．186）：“discerning canker in visible objects material．”
The term is not sufficiently cleared yet．At Th．2，358 we read “（kāmā） appassādā raṇakarā sukkapakkha-visosanā，” and v．360 reads “raṇaṁ karitvā kāmānaṁ．” ThA．244 expls v 358 by “rāg’ādi sambandhanato”； v．360 by “kāmānaṁ raṇaṁ te ca mayā kātabbaṁ ariyamaggaṁ sampahāraṁ katvā．” The first is evidently “grief，” the second “fight，” but the trsln （Sisters 145） gives “stirring strife” for v．358，and “fight with worldly lusts” for v．360； whereas Kern，Toev．s．v．raṇakara gives “causing sinful desire” as trsl．
The word araṇa （see araṇa2） was regarded as neg．of raṇa in both meanings （1 & 2）； thus either “freedom fr．passion” or “not fighting．” The trsln of DhsA．50 （Expos．67） takes it in a slightly diff．sense as “harmless” （i．e．having no grievous causes） -- At M．III，235 araṇa is a quâsi summing up of “adukkha an-upaghāta anupāyāsa etc．，” and saraṇa of their positives．Here a meaning like “harmfulness” & “harmlessness” seems to be fitting．Other passages of araṇa see under araṇa．
--jaha （raṇañjaha） giving up desires or sin，leaving causes of harmfulness behind．The expression is old and stereotype．It has caused trouble among interpreters：Trenckner would like to read raṇañjaya “victorious in battle” （Notes 83）．It is also BSk．，e．g．Lal．Vist．50； AvŚ II．131 （see Speyer’s note 3 on this page．He justifies trsln “pacifier，peace-maker”）．At foll．passages：S．I，52 （trsln “quitting corruption”）； It．108 （Seidenstücker trsls：“dem Kampfgewühl entronnen”）； Miln．21； Nett 54； Sdhp．493，569．（Page 562）