Flowers from Azwar Pasuram(s)

Lotus is a common flower in the poems (pasuram) of all the Azwar saints of India, comparing Lord's eyes, his fore-hand etc. with its petals or its color. But our Big Azwar or Sri Vishnu Chitha, who had a great interest in flower-gardening, has enumerated a list of flowers and fragrant leaves. Out of devotion he had sung a group of 10 poems inviting baby Krishna to wear these flowers in his hair, which are collectively called as Poochoodal Pasurams in Thamizh. Each of these flowers / leaves mentioned here have unique (from mild to strong) fragrance(s) and medicinal properties.  Now let's see what flowers have been listed in his songs:

1. Senpakam - Champaka - Michelia champaca

    Large tree with seeds. 

   
   

2. Mallikai - Mallika - Jasminum sambac

    Perennial creeoer and can be grown from cuttings. 

   

3. Damanaham - Davana - Artemisia Pallens 

   Annual shrub, which can be grown from seeds. 

   

4. Paadhiri - Patala  - Stereospermum tetragonum  

   Big tree with seeds. 

   
   

5. Punnai - Punnaga - Calophyllum inophyllum 

    Tree and can be grown from seeds.

   
   

6. Kurukkathi - Madhavi  - Hiptage benghalensis 

    Woody climber with seeds.

   

7. Segazhuneer - Red Water Lily -Nymphaea nouchali

    Perennial water plant with seeds.

   

8. Karumuhai -  Mano Ranjitham - Artabotrys uncinatus 

   Woody climber,  and is a perennial. Can be grown from seeds.
   

   
   

9. Irvachi - A  specialized variety of Jasmine

    As the name suggests it rules the night with it's fragrance .

   (irul = darkness, atchi = ruling in Thamizh) Creeper like jasmine and can be propagated

   vegetatively. 

10. Maruhu - Marvaka - Origanum majorana

    This called as Sweet marjoram in English. Very easy to grow from seeds / cuttings. 
    

    

11. (Kadir) Pachai - Patchpan - Pogostemon patchouli  (optional)

    Extremely unique fragrant shrub with seeds.

Note: 8 flowers and two leaves make complete sense. I had added Pachai to this list assuming that Azwar wanted to include Pachai with Davana. Maruhu, Davana and the 8 flowers make a total of 10 equating the number of flowers/leaves to the number of poems in this group of pasurams.

Davana or Thanamaham gets mentioned twice here by Azwar. Needless to say the beautiful aroma of this plant had motivated Azwar to talk about this plant twice in his 10 verses. First he combines this Davana with Maruhu and makes a garland (Maruvum Thanahamum SeerMalai manam kamazkinra) and describes Sri Krishna as the one, who has his hair smelling with the sweet aroma of that garland. Since Azwar himself loves gardening he is very creative in selecting the best combination of fragrant flowers for his Sweet Lord.

Next time Davana is mentioned along with Pachai (Pogostemon patchouli), which is called as Kadir Pachai in Thamizh, which I have heard to have a very distinct fragrance and Padiri flowers (Patali pushpam). Azwar beautifully mentions (Pachai Thamnahathodu Pathiri Poo Chooda Varai) and he combines another herb with a unique fragrance (Kadir Pachai) with Davana and padiri flowers.

Note: Pachai could also be interpreted as the color green, which would make it sound that Azwar is describing it as - Green Davana. But Davana is ash-colored and I made the assumption that Pachai really meant Kadir Pachai and not the green Davana. As mentioned earlier this may be optional in this group of 10 verses but considering the great fragrance of this plant it is worth giving it the status of being included in this list.

Karumuhai flowers mentioned in Azwar's pasuram is currently known in Thamizh by its Sanskrit name - Manoranjitham. Sengazhuneer is mentioned as water flower by Azwar, which means it is the red water lily (which blooms in the day). He mentions it as "Thelliya Neeril Ezhunda Sengazhuneer Sooda Vaarai" - which means he invites his Sweet Lord to wear the Red Lily flowers, which had blossomed and had, arose from clear water. As there is another flower, with the same name, which is called as Bhu Champaka in Sanskrit Azwar's description of this flower as water flower really helps us to avoid any confusions.

In addition to inculcating the divine devotion, Azwar had done a marvelous job of preserving the tradition of those flowers used in garlands for the Lord. Although most of them are still used and available not all of them have been commercialized. For example we can never find Kurukkathi poo in the market. Manoranjitham is usually grown at homes (although in some markets they sell these flowers) jasmine, lotus etc. are readily available in the markets.

So, devotion is very closely associated with gardening too, where we grow those plants, which would bear fragrant flowers with great care and offer their flowers to Sweet Lord. The pleasure one attains by do that is end-less.