Significance of Flower:

If you had an option to choose either a rock or a flower, what would you choose? If you are a practical person, chances are that you’ll choose rock. Significance of flowers is not something that everyone can easily understand. It just sits there, doing seemingly nothing at all.

I was once instructed by my Guru to buy lots of flowers for a puja. The situation turned funny when I completed the entire puja and in the end thought “Why did I buy the flowers, I did nothing with them”. I called him up and told him that he forgot to tell me what was to be done with flowers. He laughed and laughed. He said, next time take it out of the poly bag and just keep it there.

“Just keep it there” is all it takes. Flowers do not need to do anything else. Their presence is enough. Why is that? Because they have life or what we call Prana.

Sacrifice

We all know that animal sacrifice is practised in many temples (Like Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati or Baijnath temple, Deoghar). At some places, even human sacrifice was being practiced (Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam). Sacrifice of animals or humans is given as they have life or more accurately, Prana. Temples where such practice takes place are built to store, Pure Prana, without the animal or human nature. This practice may sound horrifying to some while it will allure others. Nonetheless, it is a technology that has been practiced since time immemorial.

While animal sacrifice is one way to gain prana, there is another way too. This is the way of flowers. In the original version of Ramayana (Valmiki Ramayana), it is never mentioned that flowers were offered to deities. Valmiki Ramayana always mentions that sacrifice of flowers was made.

Flowers contain prana which is released over time. This is like animal or human sacrifice in a way. Just that animal sacrifice falls under Tamsik Guna while flowers fall under Sattiv Guna. Consequently, giving rise to their respective Guna.

Why is Mala or garland of flowers made?

Flowers should always be sacrificed while they are fresh. Time between plucking and sacrifice should be as minimal as possible. Otherwise, flowers should be stitched as a mala. Anything which has life or prana, when stitched as a mala, retains prana much longer. Remember the mund mala (Garland of human heads) around some Devi like Kali and Tara? Think of this concept as electricity running in a closed loop.

What are the precautions of plucking flowers?

Flowers which have not bloomed yet, that are still in bud phase, should not be plucked.

Flowers should be plucked with respect. While plucking flowers, care should be taken that minimum damage be done to the plant or tree bearing flower.

Flowers MUST not touch the ground. A flower which has touched ground is not fit for sacrifice as most of its prana gets sucked up by the ground itself.

Flowers must not be smelled by anyone. People have a tendency to take flowers close to their noses and take a big whiff of the flower. Such flowers are not fit for sacrifice as most of its prana gets sucked up by the person itself.

Does the colour of flowers matter?

Certainly, the colour of flowers matter. Shiv manas puja mentions the sacrifice of Jatti (Jasmine) and Champa (magnolia) flower to Shiva. In general, white flowers are best for shiva as He is a chill God. Gods and Goddess who are fierce in nature, like Kali, Tara and Hanuman like red colour flowers. Blood Red Hibiscus is the favourite of Maa Kali. Red is the colour of fierceness. Then there are yellow flowers which are loved by Maa Saraswati. Yellow is the colour of Stability.

Shiva in “Ardhnareswar” form can be offered red flowers also due to presence of feminine energy this is form.

Lotus is a very special flower. While normal pink Lotus is loved by Vishnu himself, white lotus is favourite of Brahma, Saraswati, and Parvati. Blue lotus is, however, magical. It is said that if neel kamal / Blue Lotus is offered to ShivLinga continuously for 40 days, it provides results beyond the wildest expectations.

Flower in temple

People think that use of bel patra, betel leaf (Paan Patta) and flowers are just waste in temples. It is better to spend such money on poor people than waste it in temples. However, they do not understand the fact that peace that we receive in temples is attributable to flowers and leaves among few other things. It is the life force (Prana) of flowers and leaves that keep a temple alive.

Let that take the contrary scenario. If you make an entirely new temple and keep fresh flowers in it for at least one year, the energy level of such a temple will increase significantly.

It is best and strongly suggested that fresh flowers MUST be kept in the home and office temple. One simple act will make the temple so powerful within a year that you would easily feel the difference. Your wishes will come true more often if your temple always has fresh flowers.

Flower in water

Water has memories. Thoughts and emotions can be transferred to water. Flower on other hand has Saativ Prana or Life force. Flowers should be kept on or near the water storage. If you keep water in a copper bucket or an earth pot / Matka, it is best to keep the flower on the lid. Drinking water should not be stored in any other way. Stainless steel can be used if water cannot be stored in copper or matka. If you have RO, take filtered water out of it and store in copper or earthen pot. Slowly, Satvik Prana sacrificed by flowers gets mixed with water. This water when used by anyone has a completely different signature than water stored in a plastic bottle.

Flower as garland

Flower when made into garland has manifold significance than a single or a bunch of untied flowers. Such garland is offered to Gods or people of importance as we want their energies to be high all the time. If anyone wears a flower garland around the neck or around the wrist (right for male and left for female), it will give a significant boost of prana to that person. However, in the modern world, such culture is outdated.

Flower on head

Some ladies still wear flowers on their heads. This is part of solah singar (16 decorations) of women. Decorating hair with flowers helps energy or prana flow. It makes energy calm and intact in the body.

Significance of Flower

Volumes can be written on flowers but still it won’t even begin to describe its significance. A sense of calmness, subtlety, and a delicate mind is required to feel the significance of flowers. Until that fine day comes when you can feel the significance of a flower, “Just keep it there”. Let the flower fill you, drop by drop, with things that can only be experienced.