The Vaijayanti (Sanskrit: वैजयन्ति, romanized: Vaijayantī, lit. 'garland of victory')[1] is a mythological garland or elemental necklace, primarily associated with Vishnu.[2] Employed in its worship as a garland, this object is also called the Vaijayantimala, or the Vanamala.[3][4]
InSri Vaishnava tradition, the poet-saint Thondaradippodi Alvar is regarded to be a manifestation of the Vanamala.[5]
Vaijayanti finds a mention in Vishnu Sahasranama, a stotra dedicated to Vishnu in the Mahabharata, as vanamali (forest flowers):[6]
vanamalī gadī śarṅgī śaṅkhī cakrī ca nandakī
śrīman narayano visnurvasudevo’bhiraksatu
The garland of victory is mentioned in the Mahabharata, as made of never-wilting lotuses.
In the Skanda Purana, Varuna presents Lakshmi with the garland as a wedding gift.[7]
According to the Vishnu Purana, the garland prominently displays five precious gemstones: emerald, sapphire, ruby, pearl, and diamond. These correspond with the five classic elements commonly named earth, water, fire, air, and ether respectively.[6][8]
In the Shiva Purana, Vishnu offers his garland to his son-in-law Kartikeya, before his battle with the asura Taraka.[9]
The Garuda Purana includes a prayer known as the Vishnu Panjaram, which includes the following verse: "Taking up Vaijayanti and Srivatsa, the ornament of thy throat do thou protect me in the north-west, O god, O Hayagriva. I bow unto thee".[10]
