Some common errors concerning water-lilies and lotuses

Abstract

The terminology for translating the omnipresent names for lotuses and water-lilies in Sanskrit literature continues to prove problematic for various reasons. Some attempts to deal with the problem suffer from unclear botanical terminology; others use more trustworthy sources, but mixed with outdated works. Fortunately, the well-known and widely quoted article by Wilhelm Rau, the standard reference when dealing with the Sanskrit names of lotuses and water-lilies, provides a clear, but succinct orientation

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