FLOWERS- PUSHPAANI - पुष्पाणि

SUBHASHITHANI:208



पुण्य संवर्धनाच्चापी पापौघपरिहारत।

पुष्कलार्थप्रदानार्थ पुष्पमित्यभिधीयते।।

Punya samvadhanaacchaapi paapaugha parihaarat I

Puskkalaartha pradaanartha pushpamityabhi dheeyate II

Offering of flowers to the deities increases one’s  punya , also the sins are washed away, and provides all round prosperity. Since flowers provide these three it is called ‘Pushpam’.

தூயோமாய் வந்துநாம் தூமலர்தூ வித்தொழுது

வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்கப்
போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்
தீயினில் தூசாகும் செப்பேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

All wrong deeds (present, past, future) get condoned and burnt to ashes just like debris in fire; As we meditate with a pure mind, offering flowers, worship by singing the praise of  Sri Krishna. Thiruppavai-5

अचोद्यमानानि यथा   पुष्पाणि च फलानि च |
स्वं कालं नाSतिवर्तन्ते  तथा कर्म पुराकृतम् ।।

Just as the flowers and fruits grow on trees at the appropriate time without any inspiration or inducement, in the same manner the consequences of good or bad deeds done by people long ago have to be faced by them in due course.

कुसुमं वर्णसंपन्नं गन्धहीनं न शोभते .

न शोभते क्रिया हीनं मधुरं वचनं तथा .
Kusumam varnasampannam gandhheenam na shobhate.
Na shobhate kriyaa heenam madhuram vachanam tathaa.

  A flower having bright colours but without any sweet smell is not adored. Similarly only pleasing talk (mere  promises) without being backed by any action is not liked by anybody.

पुष्पेषु जाति पुरुषेषु विष्णुः। नारीषु रंभा नरपेषु रामः।

नदीषु गङ्गा नगरेषु काञ्जि। काव्येषु माघ कवि कालिदासः।
Pushpeshu Jaati Purusheshu Vishnu I Naarishu Rambha Narapeshu Rama I
Nadishu Ganga Nagareshu Kanchi I Kavyeshu Maagha Kavi Kaalidasa.

Jaati (Jasmine) is the best flower and Vishnu is the Supreme man. Rambha is the best woman and Rama is the ideal human. Ganga is the holy river and Kanji is the mightiest city.  Maagha (A style of poetry by poet Maagha) is the best among poems and Kalidasa is the greatest poet. 

( If you observe closely , you can see that the whole verse is constructed using nouns alone. There are no connecting words, no verbs or any other kind of connections.)

अणुभ्यश्च महद्भ्यश्च शास्त्रेभ्य: कुशलो नर: ।

सर्वत: सारमादद्यात् पुष्पेभ्य इव षट्पद: ॥ŚB 11.8.10

aṇubhyaś ca mahadbhyaś ca śāstrebhyaḥ kuśalo naraḥ I

sarvataḥ sāram ādadyāt puṣpebhya iva ṣaṭpadaḥ II

Just as the honeybee takes nectar from all flowers, big and small, an intelligent human being should take the essence from all religious scriptures.

शील  भारवती  कान्ता पुष्पभारवती  लता |
अर्थभारवती  वाणी भजते कामपि श्रियम्  ||
Sheel bhaaravati kaantaa pushpabhaaravati lataa.
Arthabhaaravati vaani bhajate kaamapi shriyam.

A woman brimming with good character, a creeper filled with blooms, and a speech overflowing with purpose; who else does prosperity turn to?

पुष्पैर्देवां प्रसीदन्ति पुष्पै देवाश्च संस्थिता   I न रत्नैर्न सुवर्णेन न वित्तेन च भूरिणा I

व प्रसादमायाति यथा पुष्पैर्जनार्दन. II

Pushpair  devaam praseedanti pushpair devascha samstitaa INa ratnair na suvarnena na vittene na cha bhoorinaa I  Va prasaadamaayaati yatha pushpair Janaardhana I

Devatas are not pleased by offering of  gems, gold, and plenty of wealth; they  in fact rest in flowers and are pleased by offering of flowers, just  like Sri Vishnu is pleased by offering of flowers.

 हितेच्छुना  तु कर्तव्यः सतामेव समागमः  | 

सरसानां सुमनसां षट्पदेनेव सर्वदा  ||
Hitechchunaa tu kartavyh sataamev samaagamh.I 
sarasaanaam sumanasaam shatpadenev sarvadaaII.

 It should be the duty of seekers of welfare to always associate with noble and righteous persons, just like the honey-bees which always throng around beautiful flowers to collect the nectar   for making honey.

यथा मधु समादत्ते रक्षन् पुष्पाणि षट्पदः |

    तद्वदर्थान् मनुष्येभ्यः आदद्यादविहिंसया ||
पुष्पं पुष्पं विचिन्वीत मूलच्छेदं न कारयेत् |
    मालाकार इवारामे न यथांगारकारकः || Vidura niti

A king must extract tax from his subjects just as painlessly as a bee extracting nectar from a flower. He must act like florist who plucks flowers but takes good care of the plants in return. He must not be like a coal miner who destroys the source of his income day by day.

विनश्यन्ति समस्तानि व्रतानि विनयं विना ।

सरोरुहाणि तिष्ठन्ति सलिलेन विना कुतः ॥

vinasyati samastaani vrataani vinayam vinaa

saroruhaaNi tiShThanti salilena vinaa kutah

All vows/resolves are frustrated and lost without humility.

How can a lotus flower sustain without water?

 पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |

तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: ||BG9.26||

patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati I 

tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ II

Who ever offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that pious offering of the pure in heart.

   कुसुमस्तबकस्येव द्वयी वृत्तिर्मनस्विन:।

 मूर्ध्नि वा सर्वलोकस्य विशीर्येत वनेऽथवा॥
Men of greatness  have only two states like that of a bunch of flowers;
either they have to be on top of the whole world or they should wither away.

गुणवत् जन संसर्गात् याति निचः अपि गौरवम् ।

 पुष्प माला प्रसंगेन सूत्रं शिरसि धार्यते ॥

When found among virtuous people, even the wicked get lot of respect. Just like a simple thread gets worn on the head when it is found with in the chain of flowers.
अकारणेनैव चतुराः तर्कयन्ति परेङ्गितम् ।

गर्भस्थं केतकीपुष्पम् आमोदेनेव षट्पदाः ॥

akāraṇenaiva caturāḥ tarkayanti pareṅgitam ।
garbhasthaṃ ketakīpuṣpam āmodeneva ṣaṭpadāḥ ॥

Without any summons, the clever inquire into others' intentions; (just as), the bees locate a hidden ketakee  flower with just it's fragrance.

रूप य़ौवन सम्पन्ना: विशालकुल संभवा:
विद्याहीना न शोभन्ते निर्गन्धाः किंशुका: इव.
Roop youvan sampannah vishalakula sambhawaah.
Vidyaa heenaa na shobhante nirgandhaah kimshukaah iva.

   A person  endowed with beauty and youth and born in an illustrious family is not adorned if he is illiterate, just like the flower of a "Kinshuka" tree, which is odourless.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH