History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c37.90.3

v3.c37.90.3

5-9) prescribes that flowers emitting an overpowering smell or having no smell whatever are not to be used, nor flowers of thorny plants unless the flowers are white and sweetly fragrant; that even red flowers such as saffron flowers and those that spring in ponds or lakes may be employed. There are grades in the merit derived from offering certain flowers, e. g. the Sm. C. I, pp. 201-202 and the Pūjāprakāśa p. 51 quote many verses of the Narasiṁhapurāṇa, some of which arrange vanamallikā, campaka, aśoka, vāsantī, mālatī, kunda &c. in an ascending order among flowers and the jātī flower is said to be the best of the flowers in the worship of Viṣṇu. The same work (p. 56) names dūrvā and twentyfive flowers as favourites with Viṣṇu. Vide Vṛddha-Hārīta VII. 53-59 for the flowers that may be used in Viṣṇu-pūjā and Vṛddha Gautama p. 563. The flowers offered on a day are removed the next day by the worshipper when he is about to offer worship that day. Such flowers are called 'nirmālya' and great virtue is attached to placing such flowers on one's head by way of homage to the deity worshipped (vide Pūjāprakāśa, pp. 27 and 90). The Sm. C. (I. p.