Utpala in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

is a neuter noun with two meanings, both given by '' '' (a lexicon of circa. 400 AD). The first meaning is ''

Nymphaea nouchali ''Nymphaea nouchali'', often known by its synonym ''Nymphaea stellata'', or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus ''Nymphaea' ...

'', the "blue lotus", also known as ''kuvalaya'' in Sanskrit. The second meaning of ''utpala'' is a variety of medicinal plant known as '' in Hindi and ', vyādhi, paribhavyam or pāribhavyam, vāpyam, pākalam' according to . In

Buddhist art Buddhist art is visual art produced in the context of Buddhism. It includes Buddha in art, depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas in art, Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, ...

the ''utpala'' flower is an attribute of the goddess Tara, who very often holds one in her hand, as other Buddhist and Hindu figures may also do. Later, the ''utpala'' becomes specific to the Green Tara form, while the White Tara holds a white lotus flower (probably ''

Nymphaea lotus ''Nymphaea lotus'', the white Egyptian lotus, tiger lotus, white lotus, or Egyptian water-lily, is a flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae. Distribution It grows in various parts of East Africa and Southeast Asia. ''Nymphaea lotus'' var. ' ...

''). In Tibet, where none of the tender aquatic plants that may be known as lotus can grow, ''utpala'' became a general term for all of them.Beer, Robert, ''The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols'', p. 170, Serindia Publications, Inc., , 9781932476033
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Monier-Williams Sir Monier Monier-Williams (; né Williams; 12 November 1819 – 11 April 1899) was a British scholar who was the second Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University, England. He studied, documented and taught Asian languages, especially ...

gives the following meanings of ''utpala'': (1) the blossom of the blue lotus ''

'' (-Mahābhārata, Rāmāyana, Suśruta, Raghuvamsa, Meghdoota, etc.),(2) a seed of ''

'' (-Suśruta), (3) the plant ''

Costus speciosus ''Cheilocostus speciosus'', or crêpe ginger, is a species of flowering plant in the family Costaceae. Some botanists have now revived the synonym '' Hellenia speciosa'' for this species. It is native to southeast Asia and surrounding regions ...

'' (-Bhagavata Purāna), (4) any water-lily, any flower, (-lexicons) (5) a particular hell (-Buddhist literature), (6) name of a Nāga, (7) names of several persons, including an astronomer, (8) its feminine form ''utpalā'' meant a river (-Harivamśa), (9) its feminine form ''utpalā'' also meant a kind of cake made of unwinnowed corn (-lexicons); An unrelated homonym, compounded from ''ud'' "apart" + ''pala'' "flesh" means 'fleshless, emaciated' (-lexicons) and is the name of a particular hell (-lexicons).

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References

*. *{{Citation , last=Śāstri , first=Hargovinda , date=1978 , title={{IAST, Amarkoṣa with Hindi commentary , place=Vārānasi , publisher=Chowkhambā Sanskrit Series Office Buddhist iconography Flowers in religion