Archaic noun for a restless, eager, or impatient state of mind. Rarely used in modern Japanese; encountered mainly in classical or literary contexts.
The ancients taught that it is essential to first calm down and suppress one's impatience.
Compound of 逸る (はやる, 'to be impatient/eager') + 気 (き, 'spirit/mind'), with rendaku voicing to ぎ. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is attested in classical Japanese.