Offerings of Flowers to Laxmi Vishnu

Nothing is too small or too unimportant when the devotee makes the offer in the spirit of devotion, piety, and purity. Every one of us, even the poorest of the poor, can afford to make offerings of a few drops of water to Bhagavan, who likes the metaphorical eight flowers from his devotees. The flowers blossom out of the heart of the true devotees of Bhagavan. These eight flowers have universal appeal to all.

1. The First and Foremost is the flower of non-violence (Ahimsa prathanam pushpam.

2. The flower of control of the senses (pushpam Indriya Nigraha)

3. The flower of compassion to all living beings (Sarva Bhutha Daya Pushpam)

4. The flower of tolerance, patience and equality (Kshama Pushpam Visedhadha)

5. The flower of Spiritual knowledge (Jnanam Pushpam)

6. The flower of Inner spiritual flame--meditation (Tapa Pushpam)

7. The flower of contemplation (Dhyana Pushpam)

8. The flower of Truth, the most delightful one (Satyam-ashta-vidam Pushpam Vishno Preethi-karam bhaveth) to the One who is all-pervasive.

The worshippers of Mother Goddess offer these flowers:

1) AmAya = Guilelessness

2) AnahamkAra = Absence of egotism. An+Aham+KAra = the opposite of Ahamkara.

3) ArAga = Absence of passion; detachment; absence of anger. A + RAga = No passion.

4) Amada = absence of pride.

5) Amoha = absence of delusion.

6) Adambha = absence of duplicity; straightforwardness; absence of hypocrisy.

7) Advesa = lack of enmity

8) Aksobha = absence of mental perturbation.

9) AmAtsarya = absence of envy.

10) Alobha = absence of greed.

11) Ahimsa = non-injury.

12) Indriya nigraha = Control of senses.

13) DayA = Mercy.

14) Kshama = Forgiveness; patience, tolerance.

15) Jnana = Knowledge of what is important and what is not important; Spiritual knowledge.