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/ref> Monier-Williams gives the following meanings of ''utpala'': (1) the blossom of the blue lotus ''
Utpala in Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
is a neuter noun with two meanings, both given by '' '' (a lexicon of circa. 400 AD). The first meaning is ''Nymphaea caerulea
''Nymphaea nouchali'' var. ''caerulea'', is a water lily in the genus ''Nymphaea'', a botanical variety of ''Nymphaea nouchali''.
It is an aquatic plant of freshwater lakes, pools and rivers, naturally found throughout most of the eastern half ...
'', 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 depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from their lives, mandalas, an ...
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 white water-lily, is a flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae.
Distribution
It grows in various parts of East Africa and Southeast Asia. The ''Nymphaea lot ...
''). 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., , 9781932476033google books
/ref> Monier-Williams gives the following meanings of ''utpala'': (1) the blossom of the blue lotus ''
Nymphaea caerulea
''Nymphaea nouchali'' var. ''caerulea'', is a water lily in the genus ''Nymphaea'', a botanical variety of ''Nymphaea nouchali''.
It is an aquatic plant of freshwater lakes, pools and rivers, naturally found throughout most of the eastern half ...
'' (-Mahābhārata, Rāmāyana, Suśruta, Raghuvamsa, Meghdoota, etc.),(2) a seed of ''Nymphaea caerulea'' (-Suśruta), (3) the plant '' Costus speciosus'' (-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).
Notes
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