Kusumbha
Kusumbha
Grammar: masculine noun.
Meaning: a flower, glossed kesara in the print and safflower in the Acalā Saptamī; also a dye.
In the scriptures: Śrī Kṛshṇa names it in three vratas of the Uttara Parva. In the Rambhā Tṛtīyā vrata, kusumbha is among the offerings of the pūjā, with sugar, coconut, jīraka, salt and kuṅkuma (Chapter 24). In the Saubhāgyaśayana vrata, the kusumbha flower is one of the eight things called the Saubhāgyāshṭaka, with ikshu, stavarāja, nishpāva, rājidhānya, cow’s milk and its products, kuṅkuma and lavaṇa. In the same vrata the flowers of japākusuma, kusumbha, mālatī and kunda are held excellent (Chapter 25). In the Acalā Saptamī vrata, a wick dyed with kusumbha is set in a vessel of gold, silver or copper with sesame oil, and the lamp is lit (Chapter 53).
Related terms: Saubhāgyāshṭaka · Kuṅkuma · Rambhā Tṛtīyā · Acalā Saptamī
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 24–25, 53