Nīlam
Nīlam, “blue sapphire”
Grammar: noun.
Meaning: the blue sapphire; the text also gives it as the gloss of indranīla.
In the scriptures: In the Vijayā Saptamī vrata, Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira that the pradakshiṇā of Bhagavān Sūrya may be done with pearl, nīlam, pannā, gomeda, hīrā, vaidūrya and the like (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 43). He also names it in two mountain gifts in the Uttara Parva. In the Dhānyaśaila gift, the central Meru of grain is adorned on the west with gārutmata and nīlam (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 195). In the Ratnācala gift, Gandhamādana in the south is of pushparāga joined with indranīla, printed in the Hindi as nīlam (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 202–203).
Related terms: Padmarāga · Dāna
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 43, 195, 202–203