Kamaṇḍalu
Kamaṇḍalu, “water-pot”
Grammar: masculine or neuter noun: “water-pot”.
Meaning: the small water-pot, often made of a gourd, wood or clay, carried by tapasvīs, brahmacārīs and those who keep vratas, for the water of daily rites.
In the scriptures: the kamaṇḍalu goes with Brahmā and with those who keep tapas:
- When the devas gave their gifts to Kātyāyanī Devī, Brahmā gave her the akshamālā and the kamaṇḍalu (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 19).
- Brahmāṇī came forth from the mouth of the Devī holding an akshamālā and a kamaṇḍalu, riding a vimāna drawn by haṃsas (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 30).
- Kuṭilā gave Skanda (Viśākha) a kamaṇḍalu (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 31).
- At the upanayana of Vāmana, performed by Bharadvāja, Bṛhaspati gave him the kamaṇḍalu, while Agastya gave the kṛshṇājina, Marīci the pālāśa daṇḍa and Vasishṭha the akshamālā (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 62).
- In the Saro Māhātmya’s telling, Vasishṭha gave the kamaṇḍalu and Brahmā the kṛshṇājina; Vāmana then went to Bali‘s yajña with jaṭā, daṇḍa, kamaṇḍalu and chatra (Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 9).
- Devī Pārvatī appeared at the lake holding a kamaṇḍalu, with a gracious face, and gave the devas amṛta (Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 23).
- In Vena‘s stotra to Śiva, one of Śiva’s names is Kamaṇḍaludhara, “he who holds the kamaṇḍalu” (Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 26).
Related terms: Akshamālā · Daṇḍa · Kṛshṇājina · Upanayana · Brahmacārī
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 19, 30, 31, 62
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapters 9, 23, 26