Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

विशेषतः प्रवक्ष्यामि पुष्पाणि तिथयस्तथा दानानि च प्रशस्तानि माधवप्रीणनाय तु / 68.11 जाती शताह्वा सुमनाः कुन्दं बहुपुटं तथा बाणञ्च चम्पकाशोकं करवीरं च यूथिका

Transliteration

viśeṣataḥ pravakṣyāmi puṣpāṇi tithayastathā dānāni ca praśastāni mādhavaprīṇanāya tu / 68.11 jātī śatāhvā sumanāḥ kundaṃ bahupuṭaṃ tathā bāṇañca campakāśokaṃ karavīraṃ ca yūthikā

Translation

“I shall now declare in particular the flowers, the lunar dates (tithis), and the commendable gifts (dānas) for the purpose of pleasing Mādhava. (The flowers are:) jasmine (jātī), śatāhvā, sumanā, kunda, the many-petalled (bahu-puṭa), bāṇa, campaka, aśoka, karavīra, and yūthikā.”

Speakers

• (Unspecified in excerpt) Teacher-narrator instructing an interlocutor about Mādhava worship

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Mādhava)

Key Themes

• Ritual calendrics (tithi)
• Dana (charity) as devotion
• Flower-offerings in Vaiṣṇava worship
• Normative lists (praśasta-dravya)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse mention tithis and dānas but then list flowers?

The line functions as a heading: the speaker promises a structured exposition—(1) flowers, (2) tithis, and (3) gifts—considered especially efficacious for Mādhava’s satisfaction. The excerpt preserves the flower-list portion.

Are these flowers meant for offering (arcana) or for gifting (dāna)?

Primarily for offering in worship (arcana), though Purāṇic practice often overlaps: flowers can be offered to the deity and also donated to temples, brāhmaṇas, or for festival worship as a meritorious act.

Do names like śatāhvā, sumanā, and bāṇa have fixed botanical meanings?

Not always. Purāṇic and nighaṇṭu vocabularies preserve regional plant-names; identifications can shift across time and geography. The ritual point is their auspicious status and suitability as fragrant, pleasing offerings.