Shloka 13

Prahlada's Instructions to Bali — Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

पारिभद्रं पाटला च बकुलं गिरिशालिनी तिलकं च जपाकुसुमं पीतकं नागरं त्वपि

Transliteration

pāribhadraṃ pāṭalā ca bakulaṃ giriśālinī tilakaṃ ca japākusumaṃ pītakaṃ nāgaraṃ tvapi

Translation

“(Also commendable are) pārijāta/pāribhadra, pāṭalā, bakula, giriśālinī, tilaka, the hibiscus flower (japā-kusuma), pītaka, and nāgara as well.”

Speakers

• (Unspecified in excerpt) Teacher-narrator continuing the list of auspicious flowers for Mādhava worship

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Mādhava)

Key Themes

• Auspicious materials for worship
• Floral taxonomy in Purāṇic ritual
• Bhakti through offerings

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Is ‘pāribhadra’ the same as the celestial pārijāta?

Purāṇic usage often overlaps. ‘Pāribhadra’ can denote the pārijāta/coral tree famed in mythic contexts, while also referring to a known fragrant tree in the human world. In ritual lists, the emphasis is on auspicious fragrance and acceptability for offering.

Why include hibiscus (japā-kusuma) in a Vaiṣṇava list when it is often associated with Śakti worship?

Purāṇic ritual traditions are not strictly exclusive: many flowers circulate across Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, and Śākta pūjā depending on local custom and textual lineage. Here it is explicitly authorized as pleasing to Mādhava.

What does ‘giriśālinī’ contribute if it is not a specific place-name?

It signals a type of flower associated with mountainous terrain, expanding the list beyond garden varieties. Even without naming a tīrtha, it reflects the Purāṇic habit of linking ritual materials to ecological zones (plains, forests, hills).