e to be regarded as Amrita and some came to be regarded as
Poison. Others that were neither this nor that formed one class. That is
Amrita which gives immediate gratification and joy to the mind. That is
Poison which tortures the mind exceedingly by its odour. Know again that
Amrita is highly auspicious and that Poison is highly inauspicious. All
the (deciduous) herbs are Amrita. Poison is born of the energy of fire.
Flowers gladden the mind and confer prosperity. Hence, men of righteous
deeds bestowed the name Sumanas on them. That man who in a state of
purity offers flowers into the deities finds that the deities become
gratified with him, and as the consequence of such gratification bestow
prosperity upon him. O ruler of the Daityas, those deities unto whom
worshippers offer flowers, O lord, uttering their names the while, become
gratified with the offers in consequence of their devotion. The
(deciduous) herbs are of diverse kinds and possess diverse kinds of
energy. They should be classed as fierce, mild, and powerful. Listen to
me as I tell thee which trees are useful for purposes of sacrifice and
which are not so. Hear also what garlands are acceptable to Asuras, and
what are beneficial when offered to the deities. I shall also set forth
in their due order what garlands are agreeable to the Rakshasas, what to
the Uragas, what to the Yakshas, what to human beings, and what to the
Pitris, in proper order. Flowers are of diverse kinds. Some are wild;
some are from trees that grew in the midst of human habitations; some
belong to trees that never grow unless planted on well-tilled soil; some
are from trees growing on mountains; some are from trees that are not
prickly; and some from trees that are prickly. Fragrance, beauty of form,
and taste also may offer grounds of classification. The scent that
flowers yield is of two kinds, agreeable and disagreeable. Those flowers
that emit agreeable scent should be offered to the deities. The flowers
of trees that are destitute of thorns are generally white in hue. Such
flowers are always acceptable to the deities, O lord! One possessed of
wisdom should offer garlands of aquatic flowers, such as the lotus and
the like, unto the Gandharvas and Nagas and Yakshas. Such plants and
herbs as produce red flowers, as are possessed of keen scent, and as are
prickly, have been laid down in the Atharvana as fit for all acts of
incantation for injuring foes. Such flowers as are possessed of k