Tāmbūla

Tāmbūla

Grammar: neuter noun.

Meaning: an item given in honour and used in adornment.

In the scriptures: A mouth with the fragrance of jasmine, bakula, lotus or blue water-lily never lacks drink, food and tāmbūla (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 5). A husband should be equal to all his wives in giving clothes, tāmbūla and honour (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 8). A wife, having finished cooking, adorns herself moderately with ornaments, sandal paste, tāmbūla and flowers and serves the meal (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 13). Giving tāmbūla, money, clothes, food, gandha or medicine to new people, or receiving them, is a dosha (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 15). In the Dīpotsava, the king honours the paṇḍitas with food, tāmbūla and sweet words (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 140).

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 5, 8, 13, 15; Uttara Parva, Chapter 140