Vārtāka
Vārtāka, “the brinjal”
Grammar: masculine noun, the name of a plant and its fruit.
Meaning: the brinjal (eggplant), in Telugu vaṅkāya.
In the scriptures: teaching the munis the rule of śrāddha, Vyāsa lists the things that are not to be used in it: the bottle gourd, tiktaparṇa, the pumpkin, karaka, tiṇḍi, usirika, vārtāka (brinjal), śivijāta, kālīya, raktavāṇa, the vibhītaka fruit, sour gruel, what is fermented, withered or stale, ugragandha, kovidāra and śigru (drumstick) (Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 220).
Related terms: Śrāddha · Pitṛ · Vibhītaka
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 220