कमल का फूल (The Lotus Flower)

Acceptable to all gods

The lotus flowers for worship
in the flower basket

          The lotus flower popularly known in Hindi by "Kamal ka phool" is one of those flowers that are acceptable to all the gods for worship. It is known in India from the very ancient times. Very ancient literature and "Puranas" have it mentioned in them. In Sanskrit it is mostly known by "Padma" (पद्म). It has many synonyms in Hindi and Sanskrit like -"Pankaj", "Saroj," "Jalaj", "Nalin", "Arvind", "Utpal" etc.

          In Hindu mythology, God Brahma created the world on direction from Vishnu. The lotus has got mentioned before Brahma created the world as it came out from the naval of Vishnu on which Brahma was seated. Due to this Vishnu is also called "Padma-nabh" (One who has a lotus in his naval). Even in one of the four hands of Vishnu there is always a "Padma" (Lotus). 

               Not only Brahma and Vishnu, even God Shiva likes lotus. Shiva likes a lotus with eight petals (अष्टदल कमल). Eight petaled lotus has significance in "Tantra Sadhana". I saw such a lotus sculpted in stone at the top of the ceiling of "Mukteshwar Mahadev" Temple at Bhuaneswar, Orisa. There is a popular prayer of Shivalinga in Sanskrit called "Lingashtak" (Eight Shloka prayer of Linga). In one of its shloka is said

अष्टदलोपरिवेष्टित लिंगं    सर्वसमुद्भव कारण लिंगम् 

अष्टदरिद्रविनाशित लिंगं तत्प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम्।

("Asht-dalo-pariveshtit-lingam, sarva-samudbhava karan lingam

Ashta-daridra-vinashit lingam tat pranamami sada-shiva lingam") 

(I say pranam to that shiva-linga which is surrounded by eight-petaled-lotuses and that is the reason behind the destruction of eight folded poorness and makes all round development of the devotee). 

               Along with the Trideva (Three Gods - Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) different forms of goddesses like the lotus flower. Most of the goddesses are described as seated on a lotus flower and many of them hold a lotus flower in one of their hands. Pink coloured lotus flower is offered to goddesses like Durga, Gauri and Lakshmi. On the festival of Deepawali the lotus flowers are on top in demand list of flowers. It is believed that by offering this flower to Goddess Lakshmi she will be pleased and give the devotee wealth and happiness. One of the well known "Shri-Suktam" -the Sanskrit prayer of Lakshmi - says thus,

Lotus flower on sale for Laxmi Puja

पद्मानने  पद्मऊरु         पद्माक्षी  पद्मसम्भवे ।

त्वां मां भजस्व पद्माक्षी येन सौख्यं लभाम्यहम् ॥

(Means: whose face is like lotus,whose thighs are like lotus, whose eyes are like lotus and who is born out of lotus - I pray to such goddess by whom I will obtain happiness.)    

Such auspicious is the lotus flower! Even the "Jap" of Lakshmi is done over a chain which beads are of lotus seeds.      

              The goddess of learning "Saraswati" is described as seated on a white lotus flower as the very first stanza of the famous "Saraswati-Vandana" says -   

या कुन्देंदु  तुषारहारधवला   या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता 

या वीणावरदण्डमंडितकरा  या श्वेतपद्मासना 

या ब्रह्माच्युतशंकर प्रभृतिभिर्देव सदा वन्दिता

 सा मां पातु सरस्वती भगवती निःशेषजाड्यापहा। 

            As the bold words say "Ya shwetpadmasana", it means "who is seated on a white lotus flower". 

               So some gods prefer white, pink or blue lotus or some may prefer eight petaled or thousand petaled lotus but there is no difference of opinion that these lotus flowers found in the ponds are auspicious and highly desirable flower of gods.  

                 God "Rama" is sometime also called - "Rajiv-lochan"- one whose eyes are like lotus flowers. There is a story in Ramayana that says - once Rama decided to worship God Shiva with a thousand lotus flowers. On the sea-shore he made a "Shivalinga" and started offering the lotus flowers that he had brought for this purpose. God Shiva wanted to test him so he hid one of the lotus flowers. When Rama offered the last flower the counting was one less, so he thought -since my eyes are like lotus flowers I will offer one of my eyes to Shiva to fulfill my promise (संकल्प). As he proceeded to do such, a pleased Shiva appeared and told the fact. He also gave Rama what he wanted. 

               In addition to religious importance it is a thing of beauty that has got many references in literature - specially the beautiful eyes are compared to it. In Hindi "Kamalnayan-कमलनयन" means the eyes like lotus flower.

==<<<O>>>==