Shalagram / Shaligram

05-23-2006, 06:34 PM

I just read something about Shalagram / Shaligram in Skandhapuran
and Shila Sanhita . I would like to share .

Shaligram is found in Kali Gandaki River Basin in Muktinath Nepal.
Lord Vishu took several forms sevaral times because he was asked to
take those forms by his devotees . He also took form of Peepal tree.
Once a holy pious woman worshipper of Vishnu asked Visnu to take
place in her womb for ever , Vishnu agreed . The name of the woman
was also Gandaki. So before the woman dies Vishnu said her there
will be River known as Gandaki on Tibetain Region and he will take
form of stones in the river bed and be there untill maha pralaya .
The bed of the river is being regarded as garbha of Gandaki .
For devotees who does not have much understanding of Shila he also
said since he will stay there for a long time all the Shila's will
get Vishnu prapti . So any piece of stone collected from the bed ,
no matter the color shape size is equivalent to Shaligram .
There is nothing like broken stone in this regard , all are his form
devotion only counts .
One said me that he went to Muktinath to collect such a stone . On
his trek for 8 hours from Jomsoom through the Kali Gandaki basin, he
was unable to recognize the stones , as they were coverd with
algae's. He felt frustrated thinking Vishnu is never going to appear
before him as he expected to see black polished stones, but for
final try he started chanting loudly Vishnu dhyan with his arms in
surrender mode.
To his surprise immediately he found that a big blue stone of 5 kg
wt approx suddenly started to roll over the water from a uphill
stream and some how stopped in front of him and he realise it is
Narasingha Shila . I think this way is miraculous and unexplainable
darshan .
It is said by Lord Shiva in skandha puran , that this form of Lord
Vishnu is the most precious form and Shalagram has to be passed from
one devotee to other just by words of faith. Anyone who has tried to
assign some value to that peice of stone , no matter with what -
money jewels grains etc has committed the biggest blunder in life by
attaching a finte value to THE OMNIPRESENT RULER OF THIS UNIVERSE .
Lord Vishnu is the supreme personality and no one can measure his
weight. Such persons have no rescue but will be confined to Yamlok
with no re-births of whatever kind untill the time of final
destruction. He will only get some form of life after Kali Yug is
finished.
Shiva also said , For all devata's and devi's there are upachar to
get their blessing but for Lord Vishnu the only upachar is BHAKTI (
like Hanuman Ji had for Ramchandra another incarnation of Narayan ).
His tests are very hard to pass but he always listens to his devotee
who had cleared the exam .
Also Lord Shiva said ,if one prays Lord Shiva himself without
giving water to Vishnu , Lord Bhairav does not accept his puja . He
esspecially pointed out that all the tantras that he spoke from his
5 faces to Devi has only been spoken with the acknowledgement,
consent of Lord Vishnu. Its wrong to believe that Lord Vishnu is
detached from tantra , rather he is a very big Tantrik .
He also said Ugra forms of Lord Vishnu like Narasingha and Varaha
shila are only to be possesed by syannasi who have left home . For
family mans Matsya , Kurma , Ram , Valaram , Laxmi-Narayan are to be
kept . There are also long facts about each forms but Kurma should
be kept by one who had undertaken some oath in life - like to do a
sadhana because it is a form which when worshipped gives enormous
patience and challenging attitude . Kurma avatar of Vishnu supported
the mountain that came out as a result of churning the ocean during
Samudra Manthan . You can check pictures available in the net for
this . Its also said if one cannot take the risk of keeping a
Shalagram , take a picture and frame it . Watching Shalagram has
some positive values too .
So in short , Skandha puran warns trade of Shalagram . There are
many organizations who are selling it without caring about these
remarks , some are caring these rules so they say that if your bill
for other stuffs goes past a certain amount they will give you one.
But if you think in economic terms , the amount of money that the
bill has to reach for getting a Shalagram for free ( as they say but
i dont think so ) is more than enough for 2 people to go to
Muktinath for a trek and collect it by hand. It will also be a tour
watching the bountifull Annapurna range and your purpose served
without any mistake.
Many Shakta just thinks because they have mantra of Devi , they must
refrain from worshipping Vishnu . Its just ignorance and
sampradaayik differences but not true. For any puja Ganesh and
Vishnu are must worships , Ganesh for smooth performing of the puja
and Vishnu for we ignorant we don't not know how to worship . At the
end of the puja everyone says " O Narayan i don't know any Avahan ,
and pujan , Neither i know visarjan , So please forgive this
stupid ."

Jay Gurudev

05-24-2006, 04:18 PM

Great article.

mathhelp_04 wrote:

I just read something about Shalagram / Shaligram in Skandhapuran
and Shila Sanhita . I would like to share .

Shaligram is found in Kali Gandaki River Basin in Muktinath Nepal.
Lord Vishu took several forms sevaral times because he was asked to
take those forms by his devotees . He also took form of Peepal tree.
Once a holy pious woman worshipper of Vishnu asked Visnu to take
place in her womb for ever , Vishnu agreed . The name of the woman
was also Gandaki. So before the woman dies Vishnu said her there
will be River known as Gandaki on Tibetain Region and he will take
form of stones in the river bed and be there untill maha pralaya .
The bed of the river is being regarded as garbha of Gandaki .
For devotees who does not have much understanding of Shila he also
said since he will stay there for a long time all the Shila's will
get Vishnu prapti . So any piece of stone collected from the bed ,
no matter the color shape size is equivalent to Shaligram .
There is nothing like broken stone in this regard , all are his form
devotion only counts .
One said me that he went to Muktinath to collect such a stone . On
his trek for 8 hours from Jomsoom through the Kali Gandaki basin, he
was unable to recognize the stones , as they were coverd with
algae's. He felt frustrated thinking Vishnu is never going to appear
before him as he expected to see black polished stones, but for
final try he started chanting loudly Vishnu dhyan with his arms in
surrender mode.
To his surprise immediately he found that a big blue stone of 5 kg
wt approx suddenly started to roll over the water from a uphill
stream and some how stopped in front of him and he realise it is
Narasingha Shila . I think this way is miraculous and unexplainable
darshan .
It is said by Lord Shiva in skandha puran , that this form of Lord
Vishnu is the most precious form and Shalagram has to be passed from
one devotee to other just by words of faith. Anyone who has tried to
assign some value to that peice of stone , no matter with what -
money jewels grains etc has committed the biggest blunder in life by
attaching a finte value to THE OMNIPRESENT RULER OF THIS UNIVERSE .
Lord Vishnu is the supreme personality and no one can measure his
weight. Such persons have no rescue but will be confined to Yamlok
with no re-births of whatever kind untill the time of final
destruction. He will only get some form of life after Kali Yug is
finished.
Shiva also said , For all devata's and devi's there are upachar to
get their blessing but for Lord Vishnu the only upachar is BHAKTI (
like Hanuman Ji had for Ramchandra another incarnation of Narayan ).
His tests are very hard to pass but he always listens to his devotee
who had cleared the exam .
Also Lord Shiva said ,if one prays Lord Shiva himself without
giving water to Vishnu , Lord Bhairav does not accept his puja . He
esspecially pointed out that all the tantras that he spoke from his
5 faces to Devi has only been spoken with the acknowledgement,
consent of Lord Vishnu. Its wrong to believe that Lord Vishnu is
detached from tantra , rather he is a very big Tantrik .
He also said Ugra forms of Lord Vishnu like Narasingha and Varaha
shila are only to be possesed by syannasi who have left home . For
family mans Matsya , Kurma , Ram , Valaram , Laxmi-Narayan are to be
kept . There are also long facts about each forms but Kurma should
be kept by one who had undertaken some oath in life - like to do a
sadhana because it is a form which when worshipped gives enormous
patience and challenging attitude . Kurma avatar of Vishnu supported
the mountain that came out as a result of churning the ocean during
Samudra Manthan . You can check pictures available in the net for
this . Its also said if one cannot take the risk of keeping a
Shalagram , take a picture and frame it . Watching Shalagram has
some positive values too .
So in short , Skandha puran warns trade of Shalagram . There are
many organizations who are selling it without caring about these
remarks , some are caring these rules so they say that if your bill
for other stuffs goes past a certain amount they will give you one.
But if you think in economic terms , the amount of money that the
bill has to reach for getting a Shalagram for free ( as they say but
i dont think so ) is more than enough for 2 people to go to
Muktinath for a trek and collect it by hand. It will also be a tour
watching the bountifull Annapurna range and your purpose served
without any mistake.
Many Shakta just thinks because they have mantra of Devi , they must
refrain from worshipping Vishnu . Its just ignorance and
sampradaayik differences but not true. For any puja Ganesh and
Vishnu are must worships , Ganesh for smooth performing of the puja
and Vishnu for we ignorant we don't not know how to worship . At the
end of the puja everyone says " O Narayan i don't know any Avahan ,
and pujan , Neither i know visarjan , So please forgive this
stupid ."

Jay Gurudev