Mandāra: The Deva-Tree and Its Flower

Mandāra · mandāra, “the deva-tree”

Arka has other meanings too: see all meanings of Arka.

Grammar: masculine noun; the name of a tree and its flower. It is a different word from Mandara, the mountain.

Meaning: a deva-tree and its flower.

In the scriptures: the Bhavishya Purāṇa names it in these places.

The Mandāra Shashṭhī: Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches this vrata, which removes all pāpas and fulfils all desires. On the śukla pañcamī of Māgha the keeper takes a little food; on shashṭhī he fasts, honours brāhmaṇas, eats a mandāra flower and sleeps at night. Its prayer calls Bhagavān Sūrya Mandārabhavana and Mandāranātha (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 40).
Among the flowers of the months: in the vrata of Chapter 25 a mandāra flower is the prāśana (what is taken) of the third month (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 25). With kamala it is the flower of Jyeshṭha for Umā Devī (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 26), and it is the first of the flowers for Umā-Maheśvara on the twelve caturdaśīs (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 96–97).
In the great gifts: in the gift of the Kalpavṛksha, the deva-tree Mandāra stands on the south, on ghee, with Śrīdevī (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 178–179). A golden image of it, with those of pārijāta and kalpavṛksha, is set on the mountain of the gift; these three trees are set on nearly all the mountains (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 204).

Related terms: Pārijāta · Kalpavṛksha · Mandāra Shashṭhī · Pushpa

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